The Instigator
by routineriotx
Summary: The plan to rebel had been constructed by 13. Katniss Everdeen was not the center of it. Gale finally fell in love with a girl. Katniss Everdeen was not her. Amari Dossen was both.
1. Chapter 1

Survival.

That was what was driving me five years ago as I listened for the nonexistent hum of the electrical fence stretched out before me. There were spurts when it went on, so I had to be careful when first approaching it. I decided it was safe, then pulled back a section at the bottom to crawl underneath. I readjusted my bow and arrows when I got up, walking into the forest a bit and checking the traps I had set here yesterday. It was while I had my back turned that I heard the leaves crunch behind me. Then, a human's breath. My ears were trained for this kind of thing, so I lifted my arrow and turned to my perpetrator.

"Who are you?" I barked at the boy I now held at the end of the arrow. He put up his hands and let his knife drop as he turned to me, looking surprised at my appearance, I suppose. I was surprised at his. Well-developed muscles, broad shoulders, he had the Seam look in him- dark hair, gray eyes, prominent facial structure, plush lips, but chapped a bit. There was some dark soot on his left shoulder, also a sign he was from District 12 like me.

"Gale Hawthorne," he said slowly. I had heard about him in town before, and at school. Gale Hawthorne, age 13. Gale Hawthorne, the notoriously hot boy in our district every girl turned to goo over. Gale Hawthorne, the boy who was forced to quit school after his father died in the same mine explosion as mine did. I added Gale Hawthorne, the illegal hunter, when I saw a trap peeking out of the top of the bag on his back. His eyes squinted as he said, "Who are you? I could swear I've seen you before."

"Amari Dossen. There's many places you may have seen me before, though I don't know why you would've seen me recently. I've only been in town for school, and I heard you don't frequent there much these days," I said to him in my always confident attitude. A smirk crossed over his face, and I lowered my bow and arrow, deciding it was okay to trust him.

"Don't have time to anymore. Got a family to provide for," he said, quickly losing the smile. I pressed my lips together, but gave him a comforting smile at the last moment.

"You, too?" I asked him. His eyebrows raised a little bit, but hardly responds otherwise. I elaborated as I said, "You might have seen me at the entrance of the same mine that killed both our fathers."

He looked like he couldn't decide whether to be angry or sad. To distract himself, he looked down at the ground, and found the trap I was trying to work my game out of. He smiled and asked, "Did you create that trap?" When I nodded, he leant down and held it in his fingers, smiling and nodding his head. "Pretty impressive. For a girl."

I sat down with him, shoved him, and laughed. I could see the tension relax in his shoulders, and that's when my friendship with Gale Hawthorne began.

I had been thinking about this moment, one of my favorite memories, while I walked to where I would meet up with Gale and our other hunter friend, Katniss Everdeen. She was a year younger than I was, lost her father in the same mine explosion that took Gale's and mine, and was even better with a bow and arrow than I was. I spotted Katniss, standing on the corner, waiting patiently for Gale or me to show. When she saw me, she smiled tensely, and I give her a nod. It's no time for smiling. Today is Reaping Day.

To keep it simple, we live in an area called Panem, which is split into twelve districts, the elite Capitol reigning over all. Many years ago, 74 to be exact, there were thirteen districts. But there was a revolt, and the districts rebelled against the Capitol unsuccessfully. If you asked anyone, District 13, the leader of the rebellious districts, was obliterated. But when someone from District 13, like myself, was asked what happened, they answered that District 13 made a pact with the Capitol to stay low and quit the war, which led to the rebel's loss. Everybody still believed the former statement, except myself and the other thirteeners, as we call ourselves.

By birth, I am a thirteener. By childhood and the present, I am from District 12. If I told anybody I was a thirteener, I'd be called crazy, or I'd have to explain the intricate plan the District 13 government had been concocting over those long 74 years since the end of the first rebellion to rebel again. And I would never release the secrets I was practically created to hold.

Gale's presence made me stop thinking about what was going on in District 13 at this moment. He sauntered up, his callused and scarred hands in his pockets. He gave a stressed smile to both Katniss and I. Because his family struggled with food, as well as Katniss', both of them had entered their names extra times to receive more food. Because I now secretly grew my own food for me and my four siblings, and I had the hunting, I was only forced to enter my names a few times to receive extra food. I was at less of a risk than them both.

"Prim was freaking out before we left," Katniss confided in us as we headed to the pens where we would be separated by ages and genders. "I told her not to worry, that so many people have had to enter extra times to get extra food. Her name is only in there once."

Something turned in my stomach then, a premonition about something bad to come. Before I could tell Katniss my worries, Gale spoke up, soothing Katniss, who seemed to be shaking. "Katniss, my name will be picked before anybody else's. I saw the numbers. I'm in there the most times."

"That doesn't make me feel much better," Katniss mumbled. I laughed a little bit, trying to relieve the tension like I always do. Katniss and Gale both gave small smiles before we squeezed each other, then went to our respective pens.

I stayed to the far left of my pen, and Gale stayed to the far right of his so we could see each other. Katniss was supposed to be in the back corner of hers, but was pushed to the middle. I bit my lip, and all fell silent as Effie Trinket, the pink-haired representaitve for our district in the Capitol, walked onstage.

She gave a brief overview of what the Games were and why they were here, as if we had no idea. Then, she pulled forward the plastic globe that held thousands of slips of paper, sliding her hand in and rummaging it around a bit. She plucked out a piece of paper, unfolded it, and everybody's breath caught.

"Primrose Everdeen!"


	2. Chapter 2

My head snapped to Gale, but he was searching for Katniss. Primrose was her younger sister, her world, and only twelve years old. We saw the blonde-haired girl step into the aisle, then saw Katniss shoot out of her pen, yelling her sister's name hysterically. When guards began to detain her, she suddenly yelled, "I volunteer to be tribute!"

Everything went dead silent in the square. Never, in all of District 12's history, had there been a volunteer. I looked at Gale, but he was looking blankly toward Katniss. The guards let go of her, and she walked forward, giving a quick promise to Prim that she'd be okay. She walked up the stairs and told Effie her name. Effie, baffled by it all, took a few moments to open her mouth again and announce, "District 12, your female tribute- Katniss Everdeen!"

Prim broke. She started screaming, crying for her sister. I rushed forward to scoop her up; Gale had tried, but was detained by guards. He swallowed and stepped back, since he still had a chance of being reaped. I cradled her like my own sisters at home, one of which was Prim's best friend and was watching with tears streaking down her face. I had to be strong not only for Prim, not only for Gale, but for my own siblings as well. The weight on my shoulders was heavy, but I would carry it.

I was excused to go outside the barriers the children were kept within, and I found Mrs. Everdeen, but kept Prim in my arms. Ever since her husband had been taken by the explosion, so had some of her mothering capabilities. I watched as the boy who worked at the bakery- Peeta Mellark, Effie's voice announced- was picked as the male tribute. I found one of his older brothers, stuck in Gale's pen with the other eighteen year olds, but he did not step forward as Katniss had done for Prim.

Effie Trinket said a last few words before whisking away the tributes. Katniss met my eyes and her message resounded through my body: take care of my family. I felt my nerves tense up, especially with Prim's whimpers and sobs sounding in my ear, but then felt them relax when Gale's hand slipped into the middle of my back. Mrs. Everdeen quietly asked for Prim back, and I kissed her goodbye and told her I would come by later, after Katniss left town for the Capitol.

Gale was the one to pull me away from the square, towards the fence, under the wire, and to our spot. I was still a bit numb, and remained stoic until Gale sat me down and stared at me for a good ten minutes. Finally, he was the one to give in to the silence and ask, "What happens now?"

I cleared my throat of any sobs threatening to escape, then said, "Katniss goes to the Capitol, competes, wins the Games, and comes back."

Gale gave me a patronizing look. "Amari, you know what I..."

"Yes, I do," I snapped as Gale flinched, "but I refuse to think that way, Gale. Katniss will not die in that arena, I promise you. I will do everything in my power to make sure she stays alive."

I hesitated, realizing I might've said too much, but Gale just looked sad. He put his hand on the side of my face and asked me, "What power, Amari? We live in the Seam of District 12- that's the poorest of the poor. You've got four kids to support by yourself, and now we've got to help out the Everdeens, too. We don't have money to buy gifts to send to her, and we're only teenagers in a meager district."

"There's an opportunity in everything," I said, putting my hand on the side of his face. He looked at me, and I sighed. "You must stop being so pessimistic. I miss the Gale that smiled at every leaf in this forest."

Gale gave me a weak smile, but it was better than nothing. I returned it, and then sighed again, crawling over to him on my hands and knees. I put my arms around his neck, and he put his around my waist. We just sat there, holding each other, because sometimes, all we needed was to know that we were there for each other, support for the other. That was always the biggest comfort for me; I knew Gale would always have my back, especially now, with Katniss gone.

"We must go see her at the the Justice Building before she leaves," Gale whispered quietly, not wanting to ruin the serene moment just as much as I resented to. I sighed and nodded, and he stood first, putting out a hand to help me up. His hand didn't leave mine as we exited the forest in thoughtful, comfortable silence.

Looking over at Gale, it was moments like these that I was glad Katniss wasn't with us at the moment. These were the moments where I remembered that Gale was mine first, and, therefore, I had more claim to him than Katniss did. I squeezed his hand tighter, and he looked over and gave me a weak smile again, letting go of my hand so he could hold back a section of the fence for me so I could crawl under.

We arrived at the Justice Building and walked inside, telling them we were Katniss' best friends and would like to speak to her. They let us into a beautiful room, where Katniss was sitting on the couch, looking bored. I tried my best at light-heartedness, like I always did in tough situations. Putting a fake bounce to my voice, I asked, "Already bored of the stardom?"

Katniss whirled around, then raced toward me, hugging me tightly. I hugged her back before she turned to Gale and hugged him tightly as well. She pulled back and looked at both of us, saying, "First things first: I-"

"Want us to look after your mom and Prim. Make sure Prim's eating and going to school. Make sure your mom is working enough to support themselves, and help if there's any shortage," I said mechanically, giving Katniss a comforting smile. She was the one who needed the strength in the coming weeks, not me. So I gave her my last bit of it, reaching out to squeeze her hands. "We know that, Katniss. Do not take us for fools."

"Thank you," Katniss nearly whispered, collapsing back onto the couch. Gale and I sat in the couch across from her. Gale automatically put his arm on the back of the couch, and I sat close enough to him so I could feel the angry heat coming off of him in waves. Katniss looked at the two of us and said, "Then, the second thing I needed to tell you: take care of yourselves, okay? If I do make it out of these Games alive, I want to come home and find that you guys are still alive and well."

"Again, you think we would go get ourselves killed, with three families to support between the two of us?" Gale asked, scoffing at the idea. His offense was not a joke as mine had been, and Katniss noted as her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. I put a restricting hand on Gale's thigh, and I felt him relax. He gave her a smile, although I could tell it was faked, and said, "As Amari said, do not take us for fools."

"Katniss," I said quickly to make up for Gale's moment of sudden and surprising anger, "please be careful in the Games, and be smart. Act as if you were hunting: spot your prey, label its weaknesses, but always be careful of traps that Gale stupidly put in the wrong place."

Gale lurched forward as to argue, but then sullenly leant back into the couch. I smiled at him, and he relaxed again, but still wasn't back to the normal, composed Gale he normally was. I fought back a sigh and turned back to Katniss to continue giving my words of wisdom. "The Games are just that- games. The best player doesn't necessarily have to be the fastest or the strongest, but they must be the smartest. So keep your head on straight, and use your brain to its full capacity."

There was a knock on the door before it opened and an unfamiliar Peacekeeper told us our time was up. We all stood up as uneasiness finally rushed over Katniss' features. I looked at her and didn't care if my next words gave away my involvement with District 13 or any of the interior plot that was in the works here. I grabbed Katniss' arms and told her firmly, "I promise you, you will come home. And you know that I break none of my promises."

Katniss looked at me curiously, sensing the absolute certainty in my tone. I hugged her tightly, bidding her goodbye, as Gale did the same, putting his arm around my shoulders when we left. I slipped my arm around his waist as I said, "I have a good feeling about this."

Gale chuckled and commented, "You're crazy."

"That may be," I admitted as he squeezed my arm affectionately. I leant my head on his shoulder and looked out toward the Seam. I smiled and looked up at him, telling him, "I bet you something really good is going to come out of all of this. It might take some time, but it will happen."

Gale chuckled again, shaking his head and kissing the top of my head, butterflies erupting in my stomach. I heard him mutter something about me still being crazy, but all I could think about was how all of this, from Katniss in the games to Gale and I's seemingly blossoming relationship, was going to work out.

Only time could tell.


	3. Chapter 3

Time passed slowly without Katniss around. Although I loved spending more time with Gale, Katniss' absence meant a lot of our time was all work and no play. When we were hunting, we did so for three families now, and only two of us were doing it. It took some time adjusting to, but once we found a system that worked, we went with it.

Seeing Katniss' face on the TV screen the Capitol provided for the required Hunger Games viewings was strange and terrifying. I had spent several of the past years watching people I had smiled at in passing, but never anybody I had really, honestly loved. Even watching Peeta tugged at my heartstrings more than normal, much to Gale's chagrin as he hated him for being a bit higher on the food chain than the rest of us.

Hunting with Gale nowadays had become a huge drain on my positivity. He shared great dreams about rebellion, about rushing in to save Katniss and maybe even Peeta from the grasps of the Capitol before one of them ended up dead, and finally bringing pride to District 12 while making a fool out of the Capitol. I always reminded him that a rebellion against the Capitol would bring our district pain, not pride, and he usually switched subjects. But one day, after Katniss and Peeta were officially released into the arena, he brought up a new idea.

"There's some talk around the mines about District 13 never actually disappearing," Gale said. It was a good thing I was turned around, because my face surely showed surprise as he brought up my home, which I had thought everyone had nearly forgotten about. I heard Gale unwind another trap before he spoke again, saying, "They say the District went underground after they threatened a nuclear attack on the Capitol. The Capitol would let them sink away if they left the rebellion, so they did."

My mind was whirring at the moment. Whoever was Gale's source of information was, he was scarily close to the truth, and that was worrisome considering if some adventurous pilgrim wandered out to find District 13, he probably could.

I had been quiet for too long, and I knew Gale was about to ask me what was wrong. I spoke quickly, probably setting off more red flags, but not really caring, either, as I said, "That's absolutely ridiculous, Gale. We were taught that District 13 was basically the leader and the innovator of the rebellion. Why would they just pull out when they could win with that nuclear destruction?"

"I don't know," Gale said, sitting down on a rock to rest as I took a seat beside him. "Maybe it was all talk. Maybe they didn't have the weapons."

I bit back the affirmation that they did, indeed, have the weapons as my dad had informed me during a history lesson regarding District 13, and instead quickly changed the subject to one I knew Gale could ride on and one he had not surprisingly touched today yet.

"So, Katniss seems to be doing pretty well in the Games," I said bluntly. Gale, of course, didn't even notice my quick change of the subject. Whenever it regarded Katniss, he was ready to discuss it.

"I mean, she's surviving," Gale said in a way that made me look at him in confusion. He looked back at me as he bagged a dead squirrel, and gave me a confused look of his own. "What's that look for, huh?"

"'She's surviving'? The way you said it makes it sound like she'd be better off if she was dead," I said, almost jokingly, but Gale didn't deny the fact. I looked at him quickly again and said, "Gale, what the hell are you thinking right now?"

"I mean, she's not Katniss. She killed that kid from 2, and she's in love with the baker boy now," Gale said sullenly. Jealousy raged through me although I could tell he was not upset that Katinss was in love with someone else; he was upset that she picked someone outside of our social class, forgetting who she was and the people who she left behind. I rolled my eyes, standing up from the rock.

I felt his eyes trained on my back as I said, "Big deal. She's alive, and that's what should matter."

"Why would it matter if she comes back and isn't even the same person? The Katniss we used to know is dead," Gale said pointedly. I did the only thing I could think of.

I punched him in the face.

He staggered back and his head turned to the side. He turned back to me and I went to go hit him again, but he grabbed my fist. I slapped him with my free hand, yelling at him, "Don't you say that!"

"Why not?! You know it's true!" He yelled back, pulling me into a restrictive hug.

"I can't... I can't lose her, too," I said, nearly out of breath as I took in deep breaths to stop the cries from coming. Gale inhaled quickly and held me tighter, kissing the top of my forehead.

He pulled away from me and met my eyes, saying, "I cannot promise you that you will not lose anybody else you love. But I can promise you one thing. You will not lose me."

I met his gray eyes, and we just stared at each other for awhile, both of us taking time to see each other as the new people we had become the moment after Katniss left and our lives changed forever. How much they had changed, we still didn't know, but that was besides the point. Having just another person so close to us torn away from us helped us mature, and, without that third wheel, we were able to ride on our own.

Gale shot down and pressed his lips to mine, crushing my body to his. I tangled my fingers in his hair, which was longer than what he preferred, and it was like we had been doing it for ages.


	4. Chapter 4

When we pulled away from each other, Gale met my eyes and searched my face the same way I was searching his. He finally told me, "I'm sorry."

I blinked. "What? Why are you sorry?"

"That was reckless," he said, letting of me and turning away. I stared at him in disbelief, looking around the forest as if I expected one of our siblings to come out and say Gale's behavior was just a prank. Gale turned back to me, looking more upset than usual. "That was dumb of me, I'm sorry."

"Gale," I said to him, grabbing him by the hand and turning him to face me. He met my eyes and I lifted my hand to his face, bringing his face down gently to mine and kissing him again. His hands clasped around my waist and when we pulled apart, he sighed.

"So, not a mistake?" he asked, light-hearted for the first time in a long time. I laughed and nodded my head in affirmation of his question.

"Definitely not a mistake," I told him, hearing one of his traps snap in the forest. "As much as I am liking this, we really need to focus on hunting. It's starting to get dark, and I don't want to have to deal with a possibly electrified fence at nighttime."

We kept moving, getting back to the fence before nightfall, but it seems my concerns were for nothing. Like the majority of the time, the fence hadn't been re-electrified. Gale gave me a smug look that I ignored, hoisting our game over our shoulders as we made it back to town.

When we entered the center, it seemed that the plaza was abuzz. The Hunger Games were blasting on the TV, and I quickly sought out Gale's hand. He shifted his game bag from one shoulder to the other so he could slip his fingers between mine, and although this wasn't usual, Greasy Sae's wise eyes widened at the sight of us when we walked up to her. She could tell it was different from a simple consoling act.

To distract her, I asked, "What's going on?"

"It seems they've finally made it to the finals. They released muttations that are chasing Katniss, Cato, and Peeta. Cato killed Thresh a few hours ago." My heart twinged; like many District Twelvers, we had grown attached to the District 11 tributes- baby Rue, who Katniss had befriended and avenged by killing her murderer, a boy named Marvel from District 1; and the aforementioned Thresh, who saved Katniss' life after killing the District 2 girl named Clove that had nearly killed her in a fight.

"What are the muttations of?" Gale asked.

"See for yourself," Greasy Sae said, pointing to the screen. One of the giant wolves that was bounding after Katniss and Peeta landed, looking at the camera and growling horrendously. As I stared into its eyes, though, even I could see the pretty girl from District 1- Glimmer- in its eyes.

I covered my mouth in surprise, while Gale's set in a thin line. We watched in anticipation as Peeta and Katniss raced toward the Cornucopia. Another figure was already on top of it, but as the cameras zoomed in, we saw Cato's bloodied and bruised face. As Katniss and Peeta scrambled to the top, Katniss firing arrow after arrow onto the muttations to keep them at bay, Cato and Peeta participated in a fist fight, Cato trying to throw Peeta off the Cornucopia at every chance he got. Easily tiring from his apparent wounds, Cato eventually just tied Peeta in a headlock that gained Katniss' attention.

Cato gave a surprisingly inspiring speech about how all he was, was a pawn of the Capitol, a boy who was raised to maim and murder. He threatened to jump off with Peeta, but Peeta was having none of Cato's nonsense. He raised his hand to Cato's, lightly painting an X on the back. While it took Katniss a few moments to register what was happening, Gale and I shouted at the same time, as if she could hear us, "Shoot him, Katniss!"

Heads in the circle turned toward us, but turned back just as quickly as they heard the whistle of Katniss' arrow, meeting its mark perfectly. Cato lifted his hand off of Peeta, who jumped away from the edge just as quickly as Cato fell over, the muttations converging on him. Although all we could see was a flurry of muttations, we could hear the ripping of Cato's skin and the breaking of his bones. I turned to Gale, hiding in my face in his chest as he held me.

Katniss stepped up to the edge of the Cornucopia, and the only thing that made me turn back around was Greasy Sae's intelligent, "What is that crazy girl doing?"

She raised her bow and shot into the muttations, and the screams from Cato fell silent, just as our town center was now. It took a moment for it to settle in, that the so-called star-crossed lovers of District 12 were actually both coming home, a fact harder to believe when you took in the fact that we had only had one victor prior. Just as I could see the cheers and the jubilation about to begin, a loud voice cut over in the arena, silencing our plaza so we could hear the affirmation that it wasn't a dream.

The Capitol had never followed our wishes, though.

Cladius Templesmith's voice came over the feed, and announced, "The earlier declaration about two tributes from one district both become victors has been revoked. There will be only one victor."

His voice clicked off, without preamble or a goodbye. Peeta and Katniss stared at each other, and while Gale's hand tightened on my hip, I wasn't concerned. While Katniss' look was calculating, Peeta's was devastated. He slowly said to her, "Katniss, I can't..."

She leapt off the Cornucopia and ran to the forest. Everybody, Peeta included, seemed confused, but I was just anticipating Katniss' next move. She came back with a handful of berries, and Peeta slid down the side of the Cornucopia to meet her. She poured some into his hand, and now I grew alarmed.

She was about to consume nightlock.

I tried to keep my cool, knowing Katniss wouldn't kill herself off because of Prim and her mother and even me and Gale and our families. Katniss, unlike Peeta, had too much to lose- us. Although I was nearly confident in Katniss' wish to come back to us, I still felt myself catching my breath when Katniss met Peeta's eyes, for the first time seeing really in love with him as she said, "Together."

Peeta nodded as he said, "Three."

Katniss took his free hand with hers, never moving her eyes away from him. "Two."

Raising his cupped hand to his mouth, Peeta said, "One."

Just as they tipped back their heads, Cladius came back on and screamed, "Wait!"

Now it was dead silent everywhere, The moment froze in time, as finally, Cladius rushed to say, "I am happy to announce the victors from District 12- Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen!"

The plaza exploded into celebration, at the affirmation that both of them were coming home. They dropped the berries and embraced each other as the screens all shut off, and the celebration continued. Greasy Sae gave both Gale and I hugs, and Gale leant down to kiss me, looking over-joyed as he said, "I should've believed you when you said Katniss would get home."

"I know," I said to him, smirking at him as he finally rushed off to find someone to buy his game so we could join in on the celebration. I, however, took a moment to calculate the alteration of the rule. For the first time, we had two victors, and it was all thanks to Katniss. But would the Capitol see it the same way? In an already tension-riddled country, where District 13 was stepping closer and closer every day to the second rebellion, had Katniss somehow now become the center of it?

She had won the Hunger Games, yes.

But at what cost?


	5. Chapter 5

To say that things had changed after Katniss came back was an understatement.

After a few awkward trips to the forest, Gale was finally starting his shifts at the coal mines, leaving Katniss and I alone. She talked to me for hours on end about her woes with her and Peeta's seemingly fake relationship, a topic on which I knew Gale felt sensitive about. The only day I had to see Gale was the Sunday we all hunted together, and, just like before, we had become an awkward love triangle again, and that wasn't good enough for me.

For some reason, it never came up in conversation with Katniss that Gale and I had evolved beyond mild flirtations, and it's not as if Gale seemed to want to broadcast that fact. Katniss told us all about Snow's threatening words following the Games, and thus, all of us were on the edge of our seats. When I confronted Gale in private about not telling Katniss about us, he attributed it to the fact that we shouldn't be connected if the Capitol came for us.

That was the first wedge in our relationship. Gale, who had always been the fighter of our group, wasn't willing to fight for the one thing he had claimed multiple times before meant the most to him. So, did that mean it wasn't important to him anymore?

I began skipping our Sunday hunting trips, and refusing to see Gale when he came by after not seeing me for two weeks. I knew it was childish, but I didn't want to deal with him and Katniss and his obvious feelings for her that had never left.

A few days before Katniss was to leave for her Victory Tour around the country, she sent Prim to my house to request that I come hunting with them that last Sunday before she left. When I arrived, I expected the scene of traps and weapons, but instead, I found Katniss pacing, bow and arrow in hand. She turned with it aimed at me when I walked up, and Gale ran up quickly behind me, hissing, "Katniss."

"Sorry, I wasn't sure..." she said, collapsing to the ground. Gale and I both rushed toward her, and she turned to him. She dry heaved for a few moments before finally collecting herself enough to say, "Snow came to visit me today."

My eyes went wide. "Here?"

Katniss shook her head. "At my house. There's uprisings in the other district, in 8 and 11. He... he threatened everybody. He threatened you, and Prim, and Gale... Gale."

She turned to him quickly, then looked around just as quickly. Gale and I tried to follow her eyes, but to no avail. She finally revealed what she was working for as she said, "I don't know if we're safe here."

"Catnip," Gale said, using his affectionate nickname for her as he rested a hand gently on her arm, "why would we not be safe?"

"They saw us kiss, Gale. They've got to have cameras around here somewhere," she said, almost in a distracted tone. My eyes shot to a surprised Gale, who immediately turned to me to apologize, but I took off sprinting, knowing he wouldn't leave Katniss in her distressed state.

And somehow, that hurt worse.

I ran away from District 12, taking the path toward District 13. I would disappear for a few days, but I knew Caimbrie would just take the children and head to the Everdeens' when I didn't show up for dinner that night. Now that she was older, she knew about District 13 and the impending revolution, as it was now her job to keep our family intact while I stayed as the contact point between 12 and 13. It seemed like a good time for me to take the first trip there since Katniss' act of defiance, and now, with the threat of President Snow upon us.

I spent the first night in the forest, hunting some game and making a fire. Although I was usually more prepared for this trips, I knew if I only slept for a few hours, I could make it to a safe house for traveling Thirteeners in two days.

When I made it to the safehouse, they sent for a hovercraft that came and picked me up, feeding me and allowing me to shower and prepare for my meeting at District 13, who had been alerted to my arrival. When we landed and I walked out of the hovercraft, a stern woman was awaiting me.

"President Coin," I said, giving her a small bow. "I'm sorry my appearance is so abrupt."

"What news do you bring?" President Coin asked, leaving no room for niceties as usual.

"Snow made a visit to Katniss this morning," I said, taking a seat and leisurely measuring up Coin. We had been meeting for months now, ever since my uncle had become too busy with the Games in the Capitol to act as mediator. Sometimes, I felt that Coin wanted to spit on me. She had a distasteful look about her, like she had just consumed something sour. I bet anything that it was because I was a rebel source and only eighteen years young, whereas most of her sources were in their 40s or 50s, like herself.

I continued by saying, "He threatened all of us. My family, Katniss', Peeta's, Gale's- anybody who's ever said more than three words to Katniss. She was really freaked out. Snow told her about the uprisings in 8 and 11, and she found out there's cameras watching every move, even in the forest where we go to hunt."

"Then you must be more careful than ever," Coin said, pacing the room. "We can't have you caught. You know far too much."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "I'm smarter than to talk. They're dumber than to ask."

Coin sighed. "What was the reason you came here, Amari?"

"Can't you feel it, Coin? It's getting closer. Uprisings in 8 and 11, talks in 3, 7, and 10. We need to be more prepared." She looked over at me, questioning on her face as I told her, "We need to have a military plan in motion. If they pull another District 8 disaster and start bombing everybody, what do we do?"

"You know very well," Coin said, almost angrily. "As part of your uncle and father's arrangement, many members of District 12 can be housed here if they need to be evacuated. I can promise no more for the other districts."

"Can you construct any more bunkers?" I asked. Coin shook her head.

"Our energy is currently focused elsewhere- on production of weapons, of mass food production, preparing for when you Twelvers come, because you will," Coin said, giving me that sour look again. "For now, I think it is safe for you to return home. I will call for you if I need your input."

I glared at Coin for a few moments, before returning to the hovercraft that took me back to just a quarter mile away from where I had run away from Gale and Katniss before. It was dark, so I had to make my way slowly through the forest, and when I got to the chink in the fence, I could only thank my lucky stars that there was no electrical hum.

I made it home, and when I did, Caimbrie was cleaning up the house. She breathed out when she saw me, then ran over and threw her arms around me, saying, "I'm so glad you're home."

"Everything okay?" I asked, placing my bag back on the ground.

"Yes, but Katniss leaves tomorrow. Gale and her have been coming over every day and night, looking for you. Gale even spent the first night here," Caimbrie said as she finished putting away what few dishes we had. She looked at me with concern, and with age beyond her years as she asked, "What happened?"

"It's nothing for you to worry about, sweetie. Thank you for holding down the fort," I said to her, kissing her forehead. "I'm going to say goodnight to everyone."

After I made my rounds tucking my siblings in, I sat outside on the small porch in front of our house, my legs hanging off the edge. I began daydreaming about a rebellion, led by me and me alone. Ever since both of my parents had died, both because of their placement in District 12, I wanted to stand for something that they could've died for.

I don't know how much time had passed, but obviously a lot had, because a voice jostled me from my dream. I blinked as my eyes adjusted to the dark night time, and I saw Gale looking at me in concern. He reached forward and hugged me, picking me up off of the porch as he said, "I'm so glad you're back. Where did you go?"

"I just kept going," I said, shrugging. "I camped out for a few nights. I needed time to think."

I shot a quick, accusatory look toward him, and he sighed, sitting down next to me on the porch. I turned to him, and he said, "You know I've always had feelings for you, and for Katniss. When she left, they both intensified, somehow. I guess it was the thought that I could lose either of you at any time that made me want to cling to both of you. I know that's not fair to either to you, and I know I'm a hypocrite when I talk about Katniss and Peeta's relationship or whatever. But that doesn't change the fact that I do have feelings for both of you."

"And so do we," I said, swinging my legs. "Only thing missing from this is Peeta and I's affair."

Gale cracked a small smile, and I did the same, letting out my breath. He told me, "I kissed Katniss in a moment of concern. She was talking about running away and asking us to leave and... I panicked, in a ways. I had to show her that I'd be on her side, and somehow, it just happened. I know I messed up, but I... I'm choosing. It's not fair to keep both of you. And I'm choosing you, without a doubt."

"I thought you had chosen me a long time ago, back at the beginning of the Games," I said, looking down at my hands, which were clasped in my lap. Gale slipped both of his hands around mine, and I blinked past a few tears.

"I did. I had to go through the motions with Katniss to know that what I did was right, and it was. I love Katniss, but not in the same way that I love you," Gale said. I looked up at him, and he smiled gently at me. "You heard me, Amari. I love you."

I blinked a few times at him before he leant down and kissed me. I kissed him back as he wrapped his arms around me, and I fell into his body. I pulled away to tell him only one thing: "I love you, too, Gale."

And we spent the rest of the night in each other's arms.


	6. Chapter 6

When we woke up in the morning, the snow was thick on the ground. I shivered in Gale's arms, waking him as we both got up from the patio. It was still dark out, and Gale gave me a simple kiss before leaving back to his house to eat a meager breakfast before his shift in the mines.

I watched him go, his back to me and his broad shoulders steady in the shadows. I bit my lip, the anxiety of the thought of Gale in the same mines as our fathers, heading toward the same demise overtaking me. I shook my head to clear it, then turned and headed inside, beginning to cook a warm breakfast for my siblings before they headed off to school.

I, like Gale, had stopped going to school long ago in order to spend more time in the woods to support my family. Although most people hated going to school to learn about the different byproducts of coal and why the Capitol should be obeyed, I loved having a distraction for a few hours of the day from the poverty we were in. Luckily for me, I still sometimes got those in re-reading historical books of Panem before the Dark Days, books that my mother had taken from District 13 that were probably worth a mint. I would never sell them as they not only brought me knowledge, but memories of my mother, who was a notable scholar back in Thirteen.

Thirteen-year-old Caimbrie woke first, and ten-year-old Iden soon after. The boys- Iden's twin, Kynan, and six-year-old Axton- took a little longer to wake, but when they did, our house became the bustling scene it usually was. Within an hour, they were all off to school with a lunch packed, and that was all that mattered on a normal day. Unfortunately, it wasn't a normal that day.

It was the day Katniss left for the Victory Tour.

I knew it was going to be an emotionally wrought day for a lot of us, and for a lot of different reasons. Although the Victory Tour was nothing more than Katniss and Peeta going around and smiling and waving and wearing the newest Capitol fashions, care of their stylists, I knew how imperative it was that this Victory Tour go off without a hitch, as did Katniss, now. I doubt she had told her sister or mother, or even Peeta yet. And that's when I realized just how much Katniss trusted me, and how I had to pay her back for the information she had given me.

I made the long trek to her house in the Victors' Village, and thanked my lucky stars that her prep team had yet to arrive. I'd rather not be trying to have this personal conversation with all her Capitol workers around. Although I doubted they would even listen to a word I said or care, I still had to be cautious of what I said and who I said it around.

Knocking on the door first, I waited only a few minutes before entering the house myself. Mrs. Everdeen came bustling in, grabbing me in a hug as she welcomed me into their home I hadn't entered in a very long time. She knew better than to ask questions about it, though, and instead quizzed me on the well-being of my family while Katniss came down the stairs, rushing down the last few to run toward me and grab me in a hug.

She pulled away only to say, "I am so sorry, Amari. I had no idea that you and Gale... well, you know."

Mrs. Everdeen's eyebrows both rose in surprise of the news that Gale and I had finally gotten together. I shook my head, smiling at Katniss as I told her, "I was childish in the way I responded. It's fine. I know that you are just trying to figure out your feelings for both him and Peeta, and you're right- you didn't know. So, no betrayal here."

Katniss gave me a thankful smile as there was another knock on the door. Her relaxed expression quickly turned tight as Prim pranced to open the door, allowing in the influx of bright colors and made-up Capitolites. Although there were only three, the way they buzzed around Katniss made me feel as if they were replicating every second before they pulled her upstairs.

The next person in was Cinna, Katniss' stylist, who, unlike most Capitolites, almost looked natural and calm. About three District 13 visits ago, I had met Cinna, who my Uncle Plutarch had hired as one of his inner-Capitol spies. Who but the most famous stylist in Games history would have direct access to the gossip of the Capitol plebeians, and would be able to sense their feelings toward a revolt? Our trips had coincided by accident only, but I had thoroughly enjoyed his company as I had showed him around the District.

He came to me now, pressing a mockingjay pin into my hand that was almost identical to Katniss. Ever since it had appeared in the Games, the Capitol, or, should I say, district 8, was mass producing them for mass consumption. I smiled at him in thanks, but didn't let anyone else see me; for obvious reasons, they thought I had never met Cinna, and I intended to keep it that way.

Right behind Cinna came a flurry of Capitol attendees, who were carrying materials of all shades and cloth, most of which, I couldn't even name if I tried. Gale entered, having found someone to cover half of his shift so he could come see Katniss off with me. He looked lost in the big foyer, surrounded by materialistic things, and slightly angry as well. I quickly rushed to him, leaning up to kiss him and pull him away from the madness of the living room.

We made it to the kitchen, and after I grabbed some warm tea for the both of us, we headed out to the backyard. Gale was being surprisingly quiet, and I was curious. I looked over to him, noting that he seemed more distressed than usual, and that it had nothing to do with the craziness going on inside. I slipped my hand onto his thigh, taking him by surprise as I bounced him out of his thoughts, but I still asked him quietly, "What's going on?"

He sighed, taking my hand in his as he admitted, "I was thinking about how different this all would've been if it was you that had been carted off to the Games."

I swallowed, my heart pounding against my chest. As part of my parents' deal to become rebel spies for District 13, my uncle would pluck out our names from the reaping before it occurred, to ensure that none of my siblings would ever be sent to the arena. I couldn't tell Gale this, of course, so instead I just nodded and said to him, "Or you."

Gale laughed and shook his head, but I could see his olive skin pale. "I know, but... if you had gone, all this mess would be over."

I stared at him in surprise. "What do you mean, this mess?"

"This mess of Katniss having to put a show on for the Capitol. For us having to watch where we step and not fully participate in the celebration of finally having a victor. Either of us, going into the arena, would've made sure to leave alone. But Katniss... she just can't follow the rules."

I had to fight back a laugh at the irony of the situation considering my interactions with 13, but I failed at keeping my entertainment internalized. Gale looked over at me with a small smile on his face, as he asked me, "Why are you laughing at me?"

I looked up and met his eyes, and for a few moments, I considered telling him. Although Caimbrie now knew about our actual roots, it still sucked not having anyone to bear the whole secret with. Gale lost his smile as I lost mine, and his eyebrows began to furrow in concern until Katniss walked out into the backyard, all plucked and primed for the cameras.

Moving away from Gale, I got up to take in Katniss, who looked admittedly beautiful. I hugged her again, saying, "Where's the pin?"

She pointed proudly to her shoulder, where the pin was easy to see. I slipped my hand into my pocket, taking it out and showing it to her. Both Gale and she gawked at it, and Gale was the one to ask, "How did you get this?"

"Katniss' stylist and I were talking when he first walked in. He had made it for himself, but decided someone close to Katniss should keep it. I would give it to you, but you'd probably break it or lose it," I said to Gale, who frowned playfully as Katniss laughed. My heart tugged; these were the carefree moments I missed the three of us sharing.

As if reminding us that those moments were moments of the past, Cinna stepped into the backyard and told Katniss it was time for them to leave. Cars took us to the train station, where we said our final goodbyes to Katniss and Peeta, who had always been a nice boy to me despite the fact that we barely knew each other. I took these last few moments to take him in, and take in the way he looked at Katniss. I was pleased to know at least half of their relationship wasn't acting.

With one last hug from Katniss, I stepped back with Gale and Peeta and Katniss' families. A throng of District 12 remained behind the gates in the center, as this was a private moment for us to bid the victors farewell before their Tour began.

And with that, they were off.

The high-speed train took off for the horizon, and in minutes, it was gone from our view. My fingers slipped between Gale's, who squeezed it comfortingly as my other hand found Caimbrie's. What I didn't know then was that this Victory Tour, like most of Katniss' Hunger Games experience, wouldn't be the norm, and that things had officially been set into motion.

So, I said goodbye to the girl Katniss once was, and to the fleeting peace of Panem.


	7. Chapter 7

The days without Katniss went by quickly. I spent sun up to sun down hunting to keep food on the table for Gale's family, and we spent the whole weekend together. He risked hunting at night so he could spend time in the day with me, and soon enough, both of us became exhausted from our strenuous activities, so we decided to spend a whole week without each other.

When I met up with Gale again, he was cranky to say the least. It was a Saturday night, and we were all gathered into the town center to watch the television of Peeta and Katniss' stop at the Capitol. He complained about the crowd, and despite the fact that his hand was in mine, he made little to no effort in having a conversation with me. I was just about to talk to him about it when the Capitol insignia came on, and Cesar Flickerman's voice came over the speakers. It was just a simple interview, until it took quite a different turn.

Peeta got down on one knee.

There were gasps and whispers around the center as Katniss accepted Peeta's impromptu proposal. To my dismay, many eyes in the district square turned toward us- or, should I say, toward Gale. For his credit, he brought me in tighter, but I didn't want anything to do with him due to his behavior earlier. So instead, I pulled away and walked out of the crowd, leaving him far behind me.

The next day, I went hunting as usual around midday, needing even more to clear my head. I knew that because of Peeta and Katniss' engagement, something else was going on. Katniss wouldn't willingly say yes, and Peeta wouldn't be stupid enough to ask unless there was an ulterior motive. This meant that the day of the rebellion was coming soon. I could feel the tension in the air getting thicker with every second.

Gale, as I expected, was waiting for me at our usual meet-up place in the forest when we left at different times. I walked right past him, but he dropped his game bag to grab me by the arm as he said, "Amari."

"What, Gale?" I asked, turning around to face him. "Want to try and tell me that you have no feelings for Katniss?"

"That's not what's wrong, Amari, and you know it," he said to me. I rolled my eyes and turned away from him again to walk away, and he shouted at me, "Don't walk away from me!"

I had never whirled around faster, responding to his apparent anger.

"Excuse me? What is your deal?" I asked him, getting annoyed with his moping around.

"I don't know! My nerves are coming unraveled because I still have to provide for my family, and I'm in the same place that killed my father. I've been thinking about my dad's accident a lot lately, so I suppose that doesn't help," he said. For some reason, that made me snap.

"That mine explosion took my dad, too, Gale! And I lost my mother soon after that! I was left to raise four kids on my own, and I only kept good care of myself because if they lost me, they would have no one. My parents' intentions were never to be killed by relocating. They thought it would all work out, but it didn't. It's made me a stronger person, just as your dad's death same to you, and Katniss' dad's death the same to her. But their deaths are not to be played as sympathy cards, especially to me or Katniss, because we've been through the same damn thing," I spout back. Gale looked surprised to say the least, his anger near to fizzled out. I had been sarcastic and dry, but I had never been angry with him before, nor had I ever complained about having to take care of my siblings. He knew something else was wrong.

"Amari," Gale said softly, his voice the one he used when he needed to calm me down in other situations where I lost my head. I squeezed the bridge of my nose to keep the tears from coming, and he slid his arms around my waist while I was distracted. I sighed, trying to cool down, while he hummed under his breath and began swaying a little bit with me. I gave up, lost the tough exterior, and dug my head into his chest, wrapping my arms around his ribs and squeezing tight.

"I love you. Not Katniss, you. It's always been you," Gale promised me. I gripped his bicep, and he held me tighter. "I'm sorry I snapped on you. I've been under stress, and I know that's no excuse because you are, too. But I just want you to know, that no matter what happens, I love you."

"No matter what happens?" I asked him with a small smile. He smiled back down at me, kissing me and pulling me to him again. I sighed and said, "I wish things would change already."

"I'll take you away from all this one day," Gale promised me, stroking my hair as I pulled away and gave him a sad smile. I put my hands around his neck and stroke my thumb over his cheek, looking down at his lips, then back up at his eyes.

"We can't leave, not now," I whispered to him. The skin between his eyebrow creased in confusion.

"Why not?" He asked me, sounding genuinely curious. I had the urge to tell him all about my true upraising, but I fought against it. I swallowed my words and looked down, picking at Gale's shirt.

"Because my father always told me that I could never, ever give up, especially to the Capitol." Well, that wasn't a lie. He had told me that, but the reason we had to stay specifically where we were went far beyond that. I looked up at Gale and said, "Laugh at me all you want, but I believe one day soon, especially with Katniss' and Peeta's stunt on the Games, there will be an... altercation between the districts and the Capitol. People will eventually get fed up. And we will fight."

I could tell Gale didn't believe me. But, to alleviate that fact, he wrapped his arms tightly around me again, pressing his forehead to mine, his warm breath on my upper lip. He met my eyes and told me, "Then I will fight for you, and with you."

I just smiled and leant up to kiss him before my resolve had the chance to cave in again and I'd end up telling him about everything before it was able to play out according to our plan. We became pretty occupied with losing ourselves in the kiss, especially after he pressed me up against the tree. We had always been passionate kissers, but fueled with the idea of having to protect each other, things intensified quickly. Had it been warmer, we probably would've continued, but we knew we needed to get back to town soon to feed our families.

When Katniss returned home this time, things actually did kind of return to normal. She revealed to us that her Victory Tour engagement was a last-ditch effort to convince President Snow of her love with Peeta, but it had not worked. Katniss began to talk about running away with all of us, our families, and Peeta. I could see the discomfort settle on Gale as he considered living as outlaws with Peeta, who he considered to be a weakling that had only survived the Games because of his initial line up with the Careers and later his alliance with Katniss.

However, now that Katniss' mind wasn't preoccupied with trying to impress Snow and the rest of the districts, she acted more like herself. Although Gale couldn't come every weekday with us due to his work in the minds, I felt like we were all finally returning to normal, even though Gale and I were in a relationship now. Katniss knew she had to marry Peeta, so she backed off Gale.

The weeks passed as they normally did, until one Saturday, I stayed home to take care of Axton, who had contracted a bad cold and was having a very bad allergic reaction to one of the medicines that Mrs. Everdeen had given him. I didn't want to keep him at the Everdeen's house as it was nearing winter time and that meant that her patient list was about to triple in size, so I was spending all my time taking care of Axton at home and making sure the other kids stayed out long enough to not contract the disease.

Once I finally got him to settle down and take a nap, I headed out to pick up my laundry from Hazelle, Gale's mom. Although I could do my own laundry, I knew the Hawthornes needed the extra money so I always just pretended as if I had run out of time to do it.

I was walking back to my house from the Hawthornes' when I heard it: a scream of pain amplified by the silence of the crowd echoed throughout the square. Holding the laundry Hazelle had given me on my hip, I pushed through the crowd easily to see who it was that was getting flogged in the square. I dropped my laundry the moment I saw the person tied to the post.

It was Gale.


	8. Chapter 8

I took off running into the square, breaking through as I stupidly stepped between the Peacemaker and Gale. I felt the whip strike against my body and cried out in surprise at the stinging pain it wrought. I heard an angry shout from the crowd as another lash hit my back, and I fell beside Gale. He groaned and told the Peacemaker, "Hit me! Hit me, not her!"

"Gale," I said, breathing out heavily as I sat up again. I brought myself to my knees and met the angry eyes of the new Peacekeeper, telling him, "Leave him."

The Peacekeeper laughed harshly, narrowing his eyes at me and asking, "Why should I?"

I put my hand on Gale's arm, one of the only places that wasn't affected by the whip. I could feel him struggling against the pain, and struggling against me, trying to get me away from him so I wouldn't get hurt. Somehow, his resistance made me stronger as I turned to the Peacekeeper, meeting his eyes steadily.

"Because I think he's had enough punishment for whatever crime he has committed. Peacekeeper law states that the necessary lashings for hunting outside the borders is twenty-five. It's easy to say that he's suffered from more than that," I said, gripping Gale's arm harder as another lash hit my shoulder. Gale shouted at the Peacekeeper, and the crowd rustled uneasily as I heard fast footsteps.

Another body blocked the next lashing and when Katniss' face turned to the side from the impact, I could see the blood trickle down from her cheek. I stood up shakily, gripping to the post as I backed Katniss. She met the Peacekeeper's eyes as I had and said, "No more!"

"You District 12 lot sure are loyal, I'll give you that," the Peacekeeper said as he brought his arm back again. I shoved Katniss aside as another strike hit me, and I fell hard to the snow. More footsteps followed behind me, and had it not been for his stench or his voice, I wouldn't have known the two saviors who came behind me.

"Don't you know who she is?" Haymitch asked, the smell of alcohol and blood overwhelming my stomach. I slipped my hand into one of Gale's bound ones, and he squeezed, hard, as I looked up from the snow and met his eyes, giving myself the strength to sit back up and see Haymitch and Peeta now stood between us three hunters and the Peacekeeper.

"Just look at her," Peeta said, getting pushed behind Haymitch. "Without the makeup, she looks ordinary. But add some crazy outfit and hairdo, and who do you get? The girl on fire."

"Snow's going to be pissed you marked her up before her big wedding," Haymitch said, helping Katniss up and wiping away the blood on her cheek with care. He turned back to the Peacekeeper and gave him a glare, saying, "Ms. Dossen was correct in saying that Mr. Hawthorne needed only 25 lashings. I counted 43. I'll report to your superiors in the Capitol."

Only then did the Peacekeeper's tough exterior fall. He grunted and said to Haymitch, "Get them out of here. One more foot out of line, and I don't care who lives in the Victor's Village and who lives in their pocket. Remember that."

"We will," Haymitch said, waving someone over. I felt Peeta's gentle hands lift me up, and when he asked me if I could walk, I just nodded. The nausea was overwhelming, but it didn't completely paralyze me or anything of the sort, so I kept my eyes shut as Peeta put one arm around my waist and guided me back to the Victors' Village.

I could tell we were in the Everdeens house by the smell that surrounded us: a combination of dinner and medicine. I could hear the group carrying Gale on a makeshift stretcher come in behind me and I forced my eyes open, really taking in his wounds. Prim was trying to help me shake off my clothes, so I was left in only an undershirt when I pulled away from her and went to Gale's bedside, which was actually the Everdeens' kitchen table.

I grabbed his hand and stood beside his head as I pushed back his hair and shushed him although he was making terrifying noises. Although he was no longer screaming or crying, he was panting like he couldn't breathe and whimpering like an injured dog. I fought back my tears and smiled encouragingly at him, telling him to relax.

Mrs. Everdeen finally ran back with some morphling and shot it into his back as he let out a yelp, and then calmed. He looked me in the eyes and said "Mari..." before closing his eyes.

I gave an alarmed look to Mrs. Everdeen, but she just told me, "The pain is so intense for him, the morphling will keep him under for a while. We need to get the painful stuff done now. You're bleeding pretty bad as well. Go into the other room and Katniss and Peeta can help get some snow on your injuries."

I nodded and headed to the living room, where I laid, stomach down, on the couch. I stripped off my last shirt as Peeta and Katniss began to place snow on my back, telling me everything would be okay, but the words didn't register in my mind. The pain the snow brought was almost worse than the whipping. Whereas Gale took it like a man, I screamed in agony as the snow melted into my wounds.

I passed out somewhere along the way, and when I woke, it was dark outside. Candles were lit around the house, and as I got up, I winced as both my back ached and the cold still bit at my bare torso. I was afraid to mess up my bandages, so I just lightly wrapped a blanket around my shoulders and stepped into the kitchen, where Gale was still fast asleep on the table.

Sitting beside him, was Katniss.

She wash holding his hand and whispering something to him, and for some reason, that set something off within me. I cleared my throat and Katniss looked up at me, surprised I was up as she asked me, "Hey, how are you feeling? I was just watching over Gale for the night."

"How could you stand there over him like you were protecting him? Like you were doing him some favor?" I hissed at Katniss, who blinked back at me with wide, surprised eyes. I was glad to finally knock her off of her own steady feet, to feel some of the tumult we had been struggling through since she had left. "Ever since you pulled that stunt in the arena, the target is painted on our backs. Although you know this, I don't think you get it. You're always immune. You might lose the ones you love, but you won't lose your life."

"I might as well if I lose all of you," Katniss said. I laughed and shook my head.

"You wouldn't lose all of us. They wouldn't kill of Peeta, either. You would have your beloved fiancee, and that's something to live for. Take it from someone who's actually been through immense loss," I snapped at her. Her eyes went wide, and I looked over at Gale, as it finally hit me what was really bothering me. I told Katniss as if she hadn't been there, "He almost died."

"And you have no idea how sorry I am for that," Katniss said slowly, stepping toward me.

"If he died, and you left, and Peeta was gone, too, I would have three families to support for. What would I do? What am I supposed to do?" I asked her, breaking down as I slumped to the floor. She ran over to me and helped me sit up as she hugged me and I cried into her shoulder. I pulled away from her and said, "Please don't leave us again."

"I won't, I promise," Katniss said. I could feel a few of her tears hit the top of my head, but we both stopped when we heard movement. Both of us rushed over, but Katniss held back at the last moment as she respectfully allowed me to welcome Gale back to consciousness alone.

The next few weeks were full of us coaxing Gale back to health, as well as mending our own scars from both the flogging incident and all the tragedy we had suffered from over the past years. The winter helped clear some of that away, but not all went.

Before long, the 7th Quarter Quell was upon us. We had gathered in the Everdeens' house for the announcement, as Gale was still trying to recover and was afraid he might get bumped in the crowd, as well as the fact that people now liked to mob Peeta and Katniss wherever they went in public.

I sat between Gale's legs, leaning against his chest. I could see Peeta looking forlornly at us, and then at Katniss, and my heart broke for the poor guy. Although Katniss insisted it was all just an act, it was obvious the way Peeta felt about Katniss, and it was almost just as obvious that she was trying to deny it all, including her small amount of feelings for him.

The television clicked on as Cesar Flickerman talked all about the tradition of the Games and of the Quarter Quell. I had sort of tuned him out, like I did in every announcement before the Games, and tuned back in only when President Snow appeared. A young boy came up to him and offered him a wooden box full of envelopes, of which he picked the first one with a carefully illustrated 75 on it.

Gale's arms tightened around my waist as we watched President Snow open the envelope. I watched with my heart beating against my rib cage, thinking of all the possible scenarios where I would be reaped: the children of the somehow now-found District 13 spies. The best friend of a past victor. Those who illegally hunted in the woods.

I was almost ready to vomit from the anxiety when President Snow read, "On the seventy-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the Capitol, the male and female tributes will be reaped from their existing pool of victors."

Silence overwhelmed the room. Gale's arms slacked from around my waist. I think it took all of us a few solid moments to realize what the Quarter Quell's requirements meant.

Peeta and Katniss were going back into the arena.


	9. Chapter 9

Katniss ran out the moment they announced it, and both Gale and Peeta jumped up to run after her. I grabbed Gale's hand and shook my head at him, knowing that Peeta and Katniss needed to have a talk about what was going to go down. I dared a glance at Haymitch over my shoulder as Gale sat down behind me again, and he looked devastated and angry.

"Excuse me," he said as he he exited out of the house. The only thing scarier than an angry, cussing, alcoholic rage Haymitch was a polite and calm Haymitch.

Mrs. Everdeen rushed to the kitchen to hide her tears, and Prim went quickly after her, leaving just me and Gale, alone in the Everdeens' living room. Gale sighed, bending his head as he kissed my shoulder, saying, "I can't even imagine..."

He wasn't even able to finish his sentence. I, too, was stunned speechless by the revelation. We exited from the house without a goodbye, knowing that both Mrs. Everdeen and Prim needed to grieve the inevitable return of their daughter and sister to the arena.

When we returned home, I made dinner and we pretended all was normal as Gale's family came over and both of our families had dinner together. Hazelle, as usual, went about cleaning up the children as Gale joined me in the kitchen, kissing me on the shoulder again as I stood at the stove.

"I'm so glad you're still here," he said to me, surprising me. I turned to face him, looking at him with concern, as he laughed and said, "I just love you, okay?"

I smiled for the first time that day, leaning up to kiss him as I told him, "I just love you, too."

"Ew!" Gale's youngest sister, Posy, said as she covered her eyes. "You guys are gross!"

Gale laughed, seeming more relaxed now as he ran over to his sister and lifted her into the air. She was still giggling as I finished dinner and Hazelle and Caimbrie helped me set it all out on the table. As the night progressed, the children started nodding off as Gale helped his mother take back the younger ones. He returned and climbed into my bed with me, which was off in its own room- my parents' old room.

I fell right asleep with Gale's arms tight around me, and didn't even wake up the next morning as he headed to his mine shift. The day was as normal as any other; I got up, got ready, and got the kids ready for school. After I dropped them off, I headed toward the forest. When I arrived at my hunting spot, however, there was a letter awaiting me. I opened it carefully to find Coin's careful script.

_There will be a meeting later tonight at 7PM. I would like you to be there in person. Please bring the alcoholic. He is to be trusted. Meet here._

I didn't have to think twice about who "the alcoholic" was, although I was curious as to how he had gotten involved. Looking up at the sky, I saw it was about twelve, so I hunted for an hour before returning back home, thanking my lucky stars that the kids were at school so I didn't have to answer any questions.

After dropping off Gale's share of the meat at his house and leaving a note for the kids, I took my bag to made my way to the Victors' Village, careful to be stealthy as I didn't want Peeta or the Everdeens to see that Haymitch and I had a newfound alliance. Knowing Katniss or Peeta, they'd figure out something was up eventually, and that the "something" had to do with them directly.

I knocked on Haymitch's door, but wasn't surprised when I didn't get an answer. I walked into his house without an invitation and called, "Haymitch?"

There was an undeniable groan that came from the living room as I headed in, getting smacked in the face with stench. I scrunched up my nose and entered the room, seeing Haymitch, barely conscious in his armchair as he looked at me. He laughed and said, "Little Dossen. What are you doing here?"

"I think you know," I said to him bravely. His eyes widened as he sobered up a little bit, and I told him, "You need to disappear for a few days, I think. Clear your head."

"Sounds good enough to me," Haymitch said as he grabbed a bag. I let one of my eyebrows shoot up and he said, "One of my contacts told me already. I was just waiting for a guide. Didn't realize I had signed up for the teenage tour, but okay."

I rolled my eyes and asked him, "You want to try and find it yourself?"

He groaned and said, "Let's get going."

I did as he asked, leading him out of his house and into the forest, holding back the fence for him as he awkwardly shuffled underneath. I snorted at his agility, or lack thereof, and commented, "It's a good thing that Peeta wouldn't let you go into the Games. You'd die pretty quick."

"I'd like to see you try, darling," he slurred. I rolled my eyes in response, turning to him.

"If you want to try and fight me, I'd be more than glad to prove you wrong," I said to him. He remained silent as we continued to walk, and I killed a few squirrels, stuffing them into my game bag in case Haymitch held us back for one reason or another.

After about ten minutes of walking in silence, Haymitch asked, "How did you get caught up with the rebels?"

"My parents were part of the original group of rebels. They were sent out to each district to plant the rebel seed, and they were sent to District 12. I was old enough that they told me the tales and passed on what they could, and good thing they did. They died shortly after," I said as I continued to trudge through the forest.

"Your parents were good people," Haymitch admitted in a mutter. I smiled at him and he asked, "But wait. What do you mean that they were sent? From where were they sent?"

I was about to answer him when a hovercraft suddenly shadowed us. Haymitch yelled something I couldn't discern as he pushed me to the side and pulled out a gun, shooting at the hovercraft as the bullets easily bounced off. I grabbed his arm and disarmed him as I yelled at him, "What the hell!?"

"That's a Capitol hovercraft, Amari! Run, I'll distract them!" Haymitch said in the most valiant and selfless act I had ever seen him commit. I gaped at him, in all honesty, and he looked over at me with frustration as he pushed me again. "Go!"

I finally snapped to as I pointed up at the hovercraft, where there was a different emblem on the bottom. "That's not the Capitol symbol, Haymitch! Calm down, that's our ride!"

It was now Haymitch's turn to gape as a ladder was sent down to us. I embarked first, feeling my muscles freeze the moment I touched the metal and was brought up into the hovercraft. When Haymitch came up behind me, he shivered, and when I gave him a questioning look, he simply told me, "Bad deja vu."

I let him explore the hovercraft by himself as I sat down to enjoy the ride above the clouds, where we wouldn't be detected by Capitol hovercraft that may be this far out. Within hours we were at our destination, and when we were deployed into their airfield, Haymitch was gaping again, and I had to laugh. He looked over at me and said, "Where the hell are we?"

"The lost district," I told him, waving around. "Welcome to District 13, Haymitch."

We were quickly guided inside by guards before Haymitch could say much more of anything else. After entering the Control Room following minutes of convoluted turns in the tunnels underground, we were met by Coin, who simply nodded at us.

"Soldier Dossen, Mr. Abernathy," she said as she motioned to two seats. "Have a seat. Our call begins in just a minute."

"Call?" Haymitch asked as he sunk into a seat. Amari sat beside him, and found herself fighting a smile. She bet Haymitch wanted nothing more than a tonic right now to soothe his nerves.

"Yes. The call will relay the message," Coin said, in her typical robotic and cryptic fashion. Haymitch's eyebrows furrowed, and Amari, once again, found his behavior comical as she was just used to him being consistently cranky.

"The message?" Haymitch asked for clarification.

"That our plan has finally been put into action," Coin said, turning on the screen. Faces from every part of the Capitol appeared on the screen, including their locations. Most of them were obvious Thirteeners; they had the same dark hair, pale skin, and green eyes. There was at least one Thirteener for every district, and some had more. Some districts even had natives with them.

Quick introductions were made. Some people looked relieved when they heard their friends in other districts were still alive. Among them, however, new names were introduced, including victors from Districts 3, 4, 6, 7, and 11 that would be volunteering or rigging their reapings to take down the Games from inside the arena or the Capitol. As young as I was, I only recognized three of them: Finnick Odair from District 4, with his golden hair and pretty looks, and Johanna Mason and Blight Sentry from District 7, with her tough expression and his passive one.

When they made it to District 12, Haymitch and I introduced ourselves. People were surprised and saddened by the news of my parents' deaths, but most were excited when I revealed I was close to the Mockingjay, to Katniss, the central part of our plan. A few seemed wary as I was obviously the youngest in the group, but the manner was pushed aside.

The twelfth and finally screen on the wall clicked on as a voice asked, "Amari?"

I looked down at the source and found my Uncle Plutarch blinking back at me. I had only ever seen the man in pictures before, so it was a bit awkward as I smiled and waved at him. Haymitch looked over at me in confusion as Plutarch let out a breath and said, "Amari, I'm so sorry to have to do this to you."

"It's fine. I'm glad to be doing this for my parents," I said to him as Coin cleared her throat, cutting my uncle and I's reunion a bit short. She and Plutarch proceeded, all business, as we discussed basic ideas for the rebellion. We sat at our tables for hours, debating and planning, until finally, we had a blueprint of what to do.

My uncle Plutarch's playful eyes met with each of ours from his own screen as he said, "It will be an honor working with all of you. And, for the last time, hopefully, may the odds be ever in your favor."

When he clicked off, I sat back in my seat, looking at the scrambled notes I had taken. The enormity of my situation hit me as I realized what my parents had sacrificed their lives for was finally coming into play.

The rebellion had officially begun.


	10. Chapter 10

Haymitch and I made it back to Twelve in the middle of the night. He asked if he wanted me to walk me back into town, but I shook my head at him as we parted ways at his back porch. I snuck through the darkened town, since a curfew had been implemented upon the arrival of the new Peacekeepers.

When I safely made it back to the house, I saw Gale was waiting for me in our main room, which housed our kitchen, living, family, and dining room all in one. He was sitting on a dilapidated chair, and when I entered, he quickly stood up and grabbed me in an embrace, hiding his face in my hair. I wrapped my arms around him as well, but stared into his chest, confused. I asked him, "What's wrong?"

"I thought something happened to you," Gale said breathlessly as he pulled away from me. I looked at him with furrowed eyebrows.

"I told Caimbrie to pass on the message that I went out to the forest. My haul today wasn't very good," I said, lying through my teeth once more. I placed my hunting bag filled with game that I had left at Haymitch's earlier on the table, and Gale looked at it, then at me. He seemed a little unsure, almost seeing through my lie. To keep him from looking into it any further, I asked him, "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to make sure you got home safely," he said slowly, obviously surprised by my slightly harsh questioning. I shut my eyes and he stepped forward, grabbing me by the hand. The contact forced me to look up into his eyes, and he said, "What's going on with you, Amari?"

I shook my head, and tears filled my eyes instantly at the frustration that I felt considering I couldn't tell Gale about everything. It killed me to be lying to his face and keeping secrets from him, but I knew that I would be protecting him by doing so, so what other choice was there?

Luckily for me, Gale misconstrued the reason behind my tears. He wrapped me up in an embrace again and said, "I'm worried about Katniss, too, Mari. But luckily, this time, we'll have a little more help from the money her family is receiving, and she's going in with Peeta hell bent on protecting her. I truly believe, with all of my heart, that Katniss will make it out of this Games alive. She's a fighter, she is."

Instead of agreeing with Gale, I kept my face buried into his neck while he rubbed my back. I felt my eyes closing against his skin and before long, he was gently lying me down on my bed. When I got up to stop him from leaving, he shushed me and laid next to me instead, wrapping his arms back around me as sleep finally claimed me.

When we woke the next day, Gale wasn't in a rush. Considering today was the reaping, all citizens of Panem had one day off of work. I walked with Mrs. Hawthorne, Gale, and our siblings to the reaping, where they had reserved a second row spot for us behind the Everdeens. I looked across the aisle, and saw Peeta's family staring blankly ahead. I presumed they had done the math, too, and realized that their son would volunteer as tribute to be with the girl he loved, no matter the costs.

I realized with sickness that with Peeta's family on the right and Katniss' extended family on the left, it almost sickeningly resembled a wedding upon which the groom and bride's invitees sat on opposite sides of the room, resembling the wedding that they may never have.

Squeezing Gale's hand for solace, he lifted our intertwined fingers to his mouth and kissed each of my knuckles before lowering it back down to my lap. Before I even knew what was happening, Gale had turned back to me as he said quickly, "There's talk of a rebellion."

I stared at him with wide, surprised eyes, but clamped my mouth shut in fear that he didn't know about District 13. Unadulterated, Gale began talking at 100 miles per hour as he said, "Joel, one of the guys I work with, claims that when he went to the mayor's to get some money that he owed him from gambling, he saw on the mayor's personal TV some footage of uprisings in other districts, as Katniss told us. But what Katniss didn't know is that the rebels are winning."

I didn't have to feign surprise on this statement. "Really?"

Gale, looking excited that I was interested, nodded his head so vigorously that I was sure he was two shakes away from breaking his neck. He continued talking to me, saying, "We could do it, too, you know. Refuse to let Katniss go, fight against the Peacekeepers."

Sadly, I shook my head. "We have to let Katniss go, Gale."

His eyebrows furrowed in anger and frustration. "Why?"

"If we don't, they'll just came after us. All of us," I said pointedly, shifting my gaze to our younger siblings and his mother. He sighed and I put my hand over his, causing him to meet my eyes. "Gale, if the day comes that there is a rebellion, you know I'll be fighting by your side. But why start something when there's so much risk in losing?"

"Because we have to try," Gale said. I put my hand on the side of his face, and he leaned into it, putting his hand over mine as his gray eyes shone silver. "Please, Amari."

"I'm not going to risk the lives of my younger siblings in an adventure that might not work." Gale looked disheartened and disappointed to say the least, but he perked when I said, "But…"

"But?" he asked, straightening his back.

"If we had an army, a real army with a real fighting chance, I wouldn't hesitate." Gale smiled, and his eyes lightened. "But we'd have to make sure that our families were evacuated first. I wouldn't want them or any other innocent in the line of fire. If we go blazing, it's our decision and our consequence to bear."

Gale nodded, agreeing as he said, "I'm just glad to know you'd be with me."

"Of course," I said, as if there was no other choice, although I knew I might have to leave them to continue my post in District 13. It broke my heart, but it had been a reality that I knew long before I had a life with Gale.

Suddenly, a heavy hand came to my shoulder as I turned to meet its owner. I blinked with surprise at the sobered and somehow beautiful eyes of Haymitch that looked down upon me. Although I knew he would not re-entering the arena, he would be entering a bloodbath of his own very soon, and that catapulted me forward as I threw my arms around his neck. He staggered, surprised, as I whispered in his ear, "Thank you for trying to save my life in the forest. You're a brave and strong man, Haymitch, don't ever forget that."

He nodded, continuing the embrace as he said, "Your parents would be proud of you, Amari Dossen. Don't you ever forget that."

Pulling away from me, Haymitch walked back to where the Peacekeepers were standing with Katniss and Peeta corralled. He joined them, met my eyes, and nodded once before Panem's anthem began to blare. As I took my seat beside Gale again, he leaned over and said with surprise, "Since when were you and Haymitch such buddies?"

"Since he saved our asses that day at the whipping." Gale's face lost color, and I could tell he was reliving every whip over in his mind at the moment. I quickly leaned over and grabbed his hand, telling him, "Hey, hey. It's alright, I'm here."

He gave me a tortured expression that broke my heart, and made my resolution regarding the rebellion that much stronger. It was moments like these, when the true depravation and desperation of the conditions all of the districts were living in was revealed through my loved ones that I was reminded of why my parents had given up everything, including safety, a comfortable home, and familiar neighbors, for a future they couldn't predict would happen, for a wild shot in the dark that had finally met its target.

I leant over and kissed Gale just as Snow's voice came over the speakers, talking about the history of the districts and whatnot, but it was all in the background as Gale met my eyes, looking at me with a hope renewed.

It was in that moment that I knew he understood something else was going on, and that I somehow was involved.

Turning away from him before he could ask me about it, I watched as Peeta, Katniss, and Haymitch, three of the most noble people I had ever had the chance of meeting, were escorted down the aisle like some sick wedding party. I felt Gale's arms go around my shoulders just as Haymitch, the first of the three, passed by us, flanked by Peeta and then Katniss. As they stepped up to the stage, I could hear Mrs. Mellark already crying.

Effie Trinket stepped out of the Justice Building, the only bright symbol for miles. She gave a shaky smile to the crowd as she went into her normal speech, ending as she plucked Katniss' name out of a jar, where it had laid all by its lonesome. Although every person knew that was how the drawing for the women would have ended, I could see Mrs. Everdeen bend underneath the weight of her daughter's name being called for a second time. Although I wished to reach out, I saw Prim had it under control.

Spinning to the second clear globe, Effie's manicured nails plucked one of the two slips as she read out, "Haymitch Abernathy!"

As close as I was to the stage, I couldn't see the words exchanged between Peeta and Haymitch, but I sure could read the nasty expressions they were sending each other before Peeta, stronger than Haymitch, pulled from his grip and shouted, "I volunteer!"

"Your male tribute, Peeta Mellark," Effie said as her voice caught. She looked at both of the tributes standing on either side of her as she said, "May the odds be ever in your favor."

My heart tugged as I saw that even Effie, a Capitolite, was tearing up at the idea of the two lovers having to enter the arena once more. I realized immediately what I had to do. Although my parents and Plutarch had always told me to not do anything to bring attention to myself, hadn't I already by being friends with Katniss and saving Gale from the whip?

I felt my fingers bend as I lifted three to my lips, then to the sky. The salute set out a wave around us as Gale lifted it next, then the Hawthornes and the Everdeens as it spread out. The Peacekeepers raced toward me, but Gale put his arm tightly around me, both of us standing our ground.

Katniss began screaming on the stage, and I looked up to see that she, Haymitch, and Peeta were once more being corralled, pushed back into the Justice Building. While Peeta and Haymitch in all honesty just look confused, Katniss was thrashing against the Peacekeepers and screaming, "I get to say goodbye! I get to say goodbye!"

I met her terrified expression for a few seconds, before the doors shut between us, the slam acting as our final goodbyes.


	11. Chapter 11

Gale began to practically live at my house for the next week or so. It made it a little difficult for me to sneak off to District 13 and be back by dinner time, when Gale got home from the mines. The Thirteeners kept me supplied with fresh kills if I needed them, as well as transportation, to help keep up the guise. Finally, when the last plan was revealed and the third day of the Games approached, I packed up my siblings' belongings while they were at school. I had a feeling the Games weren't going to end well for District 12, if Katniss and Peeta really did make it out of the arena alive.

Despite Gale's warm body next to mine and his arm wrapped around my body, I couldn't sleep at all that night, as desperately as I tried. When I finally fell into a restless slumber, I felt jolted when I awoke what felt like only seconds later by Gale leaving the bed.

"Where are you going?" I managed to get out of my mouth. Because it was a Sunday, Gale finally had a day off. That was part of my agreement; if they were to plan this, it would be on a Sunday in case something went wrong and I would have to leave the District. I wanted Gale to have the choice to stay or leave with me, if it came to that.

"I thought I'd just get up and make some breakfast," Gale said, leaning back down to the bed as he kissed my forehead. "You've been stressed out for too long, it's the least I can do."

"You have to wake up early every day to go to the mines," I fought, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. "Let me do it. Go back to bed."

"Not with you awake," he said, grabbing me from behind by the waist as he leant down and kissed my cheek and neck haphazardly. Despite everything weighing down on me, I let a few laughs escape. While my body relaxed initially, the moment Gale let go of me, I tensed up twice as badly as my mind wandered. What if Gale decided to stay while I left? What would I do without him?

I shook my head, trying to ignore that nagging feeling as I went to their makeshift bathroom and washed myself before joining Gale in the kitchen. He was cooking up some simple eggs and some kind of mystery meat he had no doubt caught the day prior after his shift at the mine let out early. As if noting my curious stare, he laughed and said, "You don't want to know. I promise, it's not poisonous."

"Well, that's reassuring," I said, making a face as he laughed again. The noise woke up Caimbrie, who I knew then woke up the rest of our siblings as they all entered the kitchen and began eating feverishly. Because it was Sunday, they were all eager to get out of the house and play with their friends, especially the Hawthornes, who were released from their chores on Sunday since Gale could help out.

After we ate and cleaned up the house a bit, Gale and I headed to the town center to watch the Games on the screen. I insisted we did so for just an hour, although Gale had originally not been willing; we usually hunted all day Sunday to keep us sustained for this week, but I had a feeling none of that would matter after today.

It was night in the arena, and we watched as the Allies hatched a plan that had really been my uncle's from the start. While Beetee spun it to make it look they were trying to rid of the Careers, the rebels all knew the real reason he was going to spin wire around the lightning tree.

The next hour or so went by slowly. I moved my hand out of Gale's casually, knowing my muscles would begin tensing and set him off to know something was wrong.

Suddenly, the plan caught a snag. With Katniss and Johanna at the bottom of the hill and Finnick and Peeta guarding Beetee, Enobaria and Brutus cut the wire, bringing Finnick and Peeta's attentions to the girls in peril at the bottom of the hill. They took off as valiantly as could through the foliage after Enobaria and Brutus, who were now racing after Katniss and Johanna. Beetee, looking flustered, turned back to the tree, looking up for several seconds before he made a makeshift arrow and shot it toward the sky.

My stomach clenched as Beetee's shot failed and he was electrocuted, and gasps and whispers sounded around the courtyard. Even the Peacekeepers looked confused and interested in what was happening on the screen. Although no cannon sound followed, everybody thought Beetee was dead. The camera moved and showed Katniss climbing back up the hill to find Beetee. My heart dropped as she took in the scene, knowing exactly what was going to happen next.

"Gale," I said, grabbing him by the bicep. "Something's wrong. We need to go."

"What?" he asked, giving me a disbelieving look. He also looked pretty confused and concerned. I'm sure I looked and sounded like a mad person.

"Gale, you have to believe me. We've got to start evacuating the city," I said, watching as realization hit Katniss' expression. Just because Beetee wouldn't be able to act it out didn't mean the job wouldn't be done. I grabbed Gale by his shirt on his chest as he watched Katniss in confusion, then looked at me with even more confusion. "Gale, if this is the last thing you ever do for me, you will evacuate this city. Do you still have those knapsacks I told you to keep ready?"

"Yeah, of course," Gale said, finally focusing. "Why?"

I looked at the TV, Gale's gaze going the same way. We watched as Katniss set up an arrow, letting it fly as it struck the force field, causing the arena's sky to fall apart. Gasps were heard all around the district, and I yelled at him, "Gale, please! The Capitol..."

It finally clicked in his head as he sprinted to the stage. Some Peacekeepers ran to stop him, but I took one of them as finally, the tide turned in Twelve. People were done with the Peacekeepers torturing Gale, who was almost as famous and influential as Katniss and Peeta at this point, and the moment he grabbed the mic, a wave of protection rushed around him, deterring the Peacekeepers.

"I need all of you to return to your homes and grab your most precious belongings. We will meet beyond the chink in the fence beyond Mr. Sanderson's house. The Capitol is coming- we must leave," Gale said as I finally knocked out the Peacekeeper I was fighting. I ran up to the stage, my heart racing as everybody began sprinting toward their houses.

I met Gale's eyes and said to him, "I want you to run home and grab our families. Tell Caimbrie to grab my knapsack. Pick up Posy, and get somebody to pick up Axton probably. We need to run. I'll meet you at the chink. I'm going to the Victor's Village to grab some stuff for Haymitch and Peeta, and to make sure Prim and Mrs. Everdeen are okay."

"Amari," Gale said, going to grab me by the arm before I could run away. "What am I to do if you don't come? Or if the bombings start first?"

"Run, Gale. Tell Caimbrie that it's her turn to do what I couldn't. She'll know what I mean," I said to Gale. He looked confused, so to keep him from asking questions that I didn't need to explain right now, I leant up and kissed him. Pulling away, I said, "Promise me, Gale."

"I promise," he said begrudgingly. "I promise I'll see you soon."

He took off running, as did I. Racing toward the Victors' Village, I rushed through the Everdeen's house, helping Prim and her mother grab everything that was important to them- Mr. Everdeen's leather jacket Katniss loved, a few wedding and baby photos of the girls, among other things- before I left them to finish up and raced toward Haymitch's, then Peeta's, grabbing anything that looked like it was of value.

When I raced back out into the courtyard, Prim and Mrs. Everdeen were waiting for me as we took off running toward the meet up point at the edge of the district. When I arrived, I saw that Gale had managed to wrangle several hundred people to the one spot, and he was trying desperately to stand above them all and shout.

I ran up beside him, and asked him, "Did you get them?"

He nodded, looking grim. "Amari, if we're wrong..."

"We're not," I told him, my eyes moving away from his as I spotted the hovercrafts moving in on the horizon. I turned back to the crowd, trying to determine the best way to get control of them and get their attention so I could give them directions.

What grabbed their attention, instead, was the first explosion.

The group in front of us burst into mayhem. I desperately tried to get their attention, but Gale had to slide himself between me and the roaring crowd just to make sure that I wasn't hit or stampeded.

"We've got to go!" Gale shouted above the screaming, the explosions, and the burning. "We don't have any more time, Amari! We'll just have to hope they come!"

"Everybody, stay with me!" I shouted as loud as I could, Gale repeating the order as we began to take off running to at least leave District 12 behind us. For now, it seemed the hovercrafts weren't after us; they wished to just destroy the city.

"Amari!" a small voice shouted after what felt like hours of running. I whipped my head around and found my smaller siblings racing to catch up. My heart tugged as I told Gale to keep going in the general direction they were headed, before I fell back to my family, swinging Axton up into my arms as I kissed Caimbrie on the head.

"I'm proud of you," I told her, a few tears slipping out of my eyes.

"What's going on, Caimbrie?" Axton asked, putting a hand to my face as we ran. The group was coming to a stop, as we could no longer hear the bombings. I found Gale perched on top of a large rock, shouting down orders. I found the Hawthornes and Everdeens cuddled together, and placed my siblings by them.

"Everything is going to be okay, Axie," I told him, kissing him on his forehead. "I'm going to go up to Gale really quick."

Axton nodded, although his eyebrows were still set deeply in confusion. I stepped up to the platform and Gale looked over at me, looking desperate. I took a step in front of him, garnering the attention of the mob before us as I told them, "You will follow me."

"You?" Gerry, a twig-shaped boy who had been in my grade at school, laughed harshly. "Why?"

"Because I know somewhere safe to take us." There were ramblings among the crowd, and I rolled my eyes. "Many of you know that Gale and I hunted illegally in these woods. We know where to take you, how to survive. Trust us, and for once, can we actually act like a united district?"

There was some more mumbling, but as I jumped down from the stage and moved away into the forest, they seemed to follow me. I could feel a small hand slide into mine as Axton and my other siblings joined me, followed closely by the Everdeens and the Hawthornes. As Gale lifted Posy to his shoulder and she fell asleep instantly, I bit my lip as Gale's unfinished statement rang in my head.

_If we're wrong..._

I shook my head and continued on, eventually leading the group to the lakehouse that Katniss had shown us so many years ago. We made camp and placed as many of the young children as we could inside the house, as well as some of the elderly and pregnant women. It wouldn't be our first night in the forest.

One week later found me some relief. Although many of the men were starting to sprout beards and we were all starting to stink as a collective group, we finally neared a large gate that seemingly appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the wood. As we neared it, I could hear the whispers behind me, the speculation I had grown used to. Gale grabbed me by the arm and asked, "Amari, what the hell?"

"Trust me," I said, shaking off his arm as I stepped forward across the nearly invisible barrier. Almost immediately, the doors inched open as a few armed men stepped out, pointing their guns at me. Gale pulled me back behind him.

"Stop!" a man's voice shouted. A large gun was pointed at our group as they asked, "Who are you?"

I stepped forward again, and while Gale tried to pull me back, I shook him off. I slid my ID out of my bag and handed it to the man at the gate. He looked at it in awe, sputtered for a few moments, then said, "I apologize, Ms. Dossen. But who are these people with you?"

"Members of District 12," I said, keeping my voice confident. In District 13, nothing was respected more than a clear, persuasive voice. "The rebellion has begun."

Whispers began behind me, between those were clueless about what was going on around them. I continued by saying, "In order to punish Katniss for what she did, the Capitol has decided to destroy District 12. We have no home, and we need refuge."

The man made some motion to his comrade above, who pointed the gun away from the crowd. I could feel the tension seep out of the air as they began unlocking the gate.

When I turned around, I saw so many faces that I had grown up with, and most importantly, Gale's. There was confusion, and a bit of betrayal, as Gale finally asked, "Amari, what's going on?"

I sighed as the gates squeaked open, revealing what was behind them. The group all gasped as I told them the only thing I could.

"Welcome to District 13."


	12. Chapter 12

"What do you mean, it's gone?"

I stared at the large screen in front of me, on which a few faces all stood within the same image. No longer were there 13 screens split into one; many of the buildings had been destroyed during revolts that had immediately followed Katniss' last move in the arena, and my uncle was broadcasting from a hovercraft on its way to District 13, Haymitch right over his shoulder, along with Finnick Odair, a tribute from District 4 who had volunteered to partake in our rebellion.

"I'm sorry, my darling," Plutarch said, his voice somber, "but we just flew over. District 12 is completely destroyed except for the Victors' Village and part of the Justice Building."

Even I could see the pain that Haymitch was trying to mask. As much as the two of us, as well as the majority of the other inhabitants there, pretended to hate District 12, it had been home to us. Where there was sorrow, we also had our happiest memories. To imagine that I'd never see Gale walk out of the mines, or visit Greasy Sae in her kitchen, or pick up my siblings from school, or visit my parents' graves...

I lowered my head and shut my eyes, refusing to let the tears fall. Coin took over as she asked, "What is your ETA?"

"Pilot said about three hours," Plutarch said, pulling a hand through his graying hair. "Katniss and Beetee are still unconscious. Finnick, as you can see, is doing just fine. He is a little resilient and..."

"Belligerent," Haymitch finished, earning a dirty look from Finnick, who then turned back to the screen.

He spoke desperately. "My girlfriend, Annie..."

Coin raised a hand, then turned back to me. "I think this is all you need to know for now, Soldier Dossen. General, if you could take her back to her living quarters, please."

Boggs, the man who never seemed to leave Coin's side, nodded as he led me out of the War Room and through the bustling District bunker to Room 459. When I stepped inside, Boggs walked away, finally leaving me to my own thoughts for once.

I took in our room, set aside from the rest as Thirteeners who really belonged with the District 12 refugees. I rested on the bed, seeing my siblings had already set up the little stuff they had, and had made their beds. I sat down on the one single bed, which I know Caimbrie had set aside for me, and leant back against the wall, tipping my head back as I sighed.

"So," a deep voice at my doorway said as I looked up and met eyes with Gale. "Is this the secret you were keeping from me?"

I let out a breath and he walked in, closing the door behind him and taking a seat beside me on the bed. I pulled a hand through my hair and said, "The fact that I've been a Thirteener since birth is hardly the beginning of it, Gale. I don't think we'll ever have enough time to cover all the bases."

"Well," he said, putting an arm around me as I cuddled up to his warm torso, digging my face into his shoulder as I felt his cheeks pull back into a smile. "We could start at the beginning, if you'd like. Or just tell the important parts."

I smiled at him before diving into everything. How Seneca Crane, the original leader of the rebellion in the capital, had come to District 13 to ask how we got the Capitol off our backs. How he made a pact with President Coin to work with her and within the Capitol to get the rebellion movement started. How my uncle, Plutarch, was taken to the Capitol with him to make sure he kept his end of the deal, and to also begin molding a Gamekeeper to take over when Seneca died. The whole thing ended up working brilliantly, of course, since Plutarch was such a huge part of why Katniss was able to finally make the final fool out of the Capitol.

I shook my head and continued. Although District 13 already had a small number of children due to the fact that many of the adults had become infertile after the smallpox epidemic, they picked twelve families of rebels and sent them, with their first children, to other districts so they could lay the rebel seed. Although my father was originally going to be sent to the Capitol instead of Plutarch, along with my mother and a month-old version of myself, Plutarch was sent in our place because they felt one would be less conspicious than three newbies in the Capitol. My uncle, who became of great importance, was then granted his wish: that we be sent to any district we wanted. My mother wanted to stay close to home, so District 12 was it for us.

"You willingly came to 12?" Gale asked me in surprise. I nodded in response, still smiling a bit as it just felt nice to get everything off my chest. Gale asked, "Did your mother knew what waited for you?"

"She didn't care. My father told her of the poverty here, how he'd have to go work in coal mines. She said she'd rather have only the men forced to do obligatory work, and in any other district, both females and males alike were forced to do some kind of slave labor. Of course, this was when she had just me, the one girl. She knew the poverty would be hard, but I could go to school and just enjoy my childhood, then get a job at one of the stores when I was older. She didn't know she'd go on to have two boys who could end up in the mines. She didn't know my father would die in an explosion," I said, trying to keep strong. I took in a deep breath and managed to sum up the rest in a few sentences.

I told Gale about how easily we assimilated into District 12 culture. My parents and I became very well known around the district, and when I had just entered school, my sister Caimbrie was born. Three years later, twins- my sister, Iden, and my first brother, Kynan. My mom was disheartened she had a boy, so she decided to stop having kids although my dad wanted to keep going, no matter if the boys were headed to the mines or not. One night, she must've given up, because four years after Kynan came along my last and youngest brother and sibling, Axton. He was only two years old when my dad died, followed by a month later when she was killed walking home from a visit to District 13, spotted by a Capitol hovercraft who believed she was poaching outside the barriers of 12. They at least had the decency to send her body home so we could bury her beside the empty grave we had created on our property for my father.

"And you know the rest," I said to Gale, sighing as I cracked my fingers. He simply stared at me, and I bit my lip anxiously. "I am sorry I didn't tell you."

"I'm sorry you weren't able to," Gale said, shaking his head as he pulled a hand through his hair, matching my sigh with one of his own. "Jeez, I've been complaining to you about mine work and all that and this... this is huge, Amari."

I bit my lip again. "I know."

"Hey," Gale said, realizing now that I felt guilty for not telling him. He reached over and pressed his thumb to my chin, unsnagging my lip from my teeth. "I understand, okay? I probably would've run away long ago if I had known that 13 existed. I'm kind of glad you didn't tell me."

I shook my head adamantly. "But Gale, people died. I could've... I could've saved them."

"What?' Gale asked, sounding surprised as he shook his head again. "Amari, wait, no, don't think that! You didn't kill those people- the Capitol did. They would've regardless of whether they were in 12 or in 13. And don't say you could've prepared us better. We needed this."

It was my turn to look surprised. "What?"

"This was the push we all needed to see that the Capitol is not messing around, that we need to revolt," Gale said to me. I bit my lip again and he laughed, pulling it back out with his fingers. "Amari, stop that. You have been a part of this revolt for so long, you know I'm right."

I shifted uncomfortably on the bed as tears began to gather at the edges of my eyelids again. "But what will happen once we wage this revolution? Who else will die?"

"We're safe for now," Gale said, shaking his head as he gave me a small smile and kissed my forehead. "And even after this, when it gets much worse, you'll still be safe. I'll make sure of that."

Gale and I sat in our embrace for what I wished could have been forever, but we were finally interrupted by a tentative knock at my door. I pulled away and looked around Gale to spy a Thirteener standing in the doorway, his eyes right on me.

"Soldier Dossen," a Thirteener said, looking stoic, albeit a little uncomfortable. "I was told to come get you. The hovercraft from the Capitol will be arriving in five minutes at the loading dock. Coin requested that you and Refugee Hawthorne be present for its landing."

"Thank you," i said as I stood up from the bed, Gale following my lead as he slipped his fingers between mine. The moment the Thirteener left, I turned back to Gale and said, "Fair warning. We didn't get Peeta."

Gale blinked at me. "What do you mean you didn't get Peeta?"

"When Katniss destroyed the arena, two hovercrafts responded- ours, and a Capitol one. We grabbed Katniss, of course; they grabbed Peeta. Katniss might be a little bit... inconsolable, to say the least," I said, wincing as I did so. Although Katniss had always been stuck somewhere between Peeta and Gale ever since her first Games had completed, I knew that she truly loved Peeta, if not for any reason beyond the fact that he would die for her.

Gale nodded, seeming to understand as I followed the convoluted directions Coin had given me earlier to their loading dock. We were finally able to find the large room, to which Gale gaped; a fleet of hovercrafts surrounded us the moment we walked in the door.

"Where did they get this technology?" Gale asked in wonder, his grip tightening on mine.

"They've... we've," I said, quickly correcting myself, "have always been technologically advanced. One of the District 3 rebels got them the blueprints, and they built them here. They knew they had to be competitive with the Capitol as far as tech was concerned, because they knew that would be their main form of warfare."

Gale whistled lowly. "How long has this planning of a rebellion been going on?"

"Since the last one," a distant voice said from behind us. Gale's grip tightened in mine again as we turned to see Coin and her ever-present bodyguard and general, Boggs, standing beside her. "Refugee Hawthorne, I am President Coin, the leader of District 13."

Nodding in her direction, he said, "Pleasure."

An alarm went off as we all turned to face a door in the ceiling that slowly opened to reveal a hovercraft lowering itself into the room. I moved my free hand to grip the crook of Gale's elbow as the door opened and, almost immediately, a crew of people came rushing out, pushing two hospital beds: the District 3 volunteer, Beetee, and Katniss.

"Katniss?" Gale asked in surprise, letting go of my hand as he chased after the bed. "Katniss!"

I turned to watch him argue with the guards who kept him inside the landing dock, but my feet remained cemented to the floor, knowing I needed to stay where I was for the rest of the people who would exit off the hovercraft.

A few moments later, my uncle Plutarch stepped to the top of the ramp with Haymitch and Finnick Odair on either side of him.

I let a whimper out as I ran up the ramp, my uncle accepting me with wide arms. I had not been touched by him in many years, but his hugs reminded me of my father and his warmth, of a fatherly way I had not been held for years.

After I pulled away from him, my uncle looked at me with happy tears in his eyes as he held my face and told me, "I am so proud of you."

I grinned at him, turning to Haymitch, who put up his hands and said, "Uh-uh, girlie. Don't even think about getting all sappy with me."

Despite his attitude, I gave him a hug anyway that he returned, relaxing in my grip. I pulled away from him only to offer a hand to an exhausted but steely Finnick Odair, who looked at me warily. I rolled my eyes and told him, "I don't bite. Amari Dossen, I'm Plutarch's niece and leader of the District 12 rebels."

"I know. I was in on the meetings, remember?" Finnick said, finally taking my hand in his. "I'm assuming I don't have to introduce myself."

"We don't have time for this right now," Coin almost snapped, reappearing behind us on the ramp with Boggs and Gale flanking her. Gale quickly grabbed my hand again and I saw sadness flash in Finnick's eyes; the touch probably reminded him of the girl he had been talking about to Coin earlier.

"Refugee Hawthorne, you are to come with us," Coin said, beckoning to Gale with her finger. He shot me a confused look but I shrugged as we followed the party back to the War Room, which had started to become an all-too familiar scene of my life.

Coin flipped a switch as we entered the room, and all the screens came to life. Gale gawked at the technology as Coin said, "As you see, our timeline has been sped up a little bit. We will need to start training our special teams, and Soldiers Dossen and Hawthorne must work directly with the victors to help them develop a different set of skills."

Looking surprised, Gale asked, "Soldier?"

"Yeah, boy, you didn't think we recruited you based on your looks, did you?" Haymitch grumbled bitterly, pushing back his dirty blonde hair. "I've seen the traps you've made in the forest. You've got some skill there. We could use it."

I squeezed Gale's hand reassuringly, and he seemed to relax.

"Since I'm a soldier now, can I ask... what is this?" Gale asked, blinking at the screens as he watched the violent scenes of revolts flash across the glass. Coin looked over at him like he was stupid, and he asked again, "What?"

Everybody looked around the room, nobody wanting to speak the words. It had become much more real than it had ever been, these images from 7 of the 12 districts verifying that our work of the last several months, the last several years, had not been in vain.

Finally, it came to Haymitch as he stood up from his seat the table and whirled around to face Gale, finally describing the images on the screen in four, simple words.

"This is war, boy."


	13. Chapter 13

I wasn't entirely sure what I expected Gale to do, but I also wasn't surprised when he seemed to straighten his posture, keeping a steely expression on his face as he nodded once to signify that he understood what Haymitch was telling him. "You want me to be a rebel soldier."

"Son, I think you already are," Plutarch said tiredly, pushing back his lightened blonde hair. "I think my niece has brought you in pretty deep, and I don't think you want to leave from what she's told me about your past wishes in separating from the Capitol."

I watched as a little bit of blush slipped into Gale's cheeks, and I had to smirk. Coin cleared her throat, saying, "We do not have time for these childish questions. Soldiers Dossen and Hawthorne, you will begin training with General Boggs immediately. You will train both with our ever-growing army, as well as have individual sessions with him as you both need to hone your talents."

"Why?" Gale asked. I squeezed my eyes shut, losing my smirk. While I questioned Coin all the time, this was different; Gale was new, and had not yet won her respect. He certainly wouldn't earn it by not treating her with any.

Despite my obvious discomfort at Gale speaking up, he continued, "I understand why Amari is so important, but why me?"

"Because you're important to both her and Katniss," Plutarch butt in before Coin had time to respond with something that would surely come out rudely. "Let's be real, she's proved to be a little... difficult in the past, and we don't think that will change any time in the future. She'll want to keep tabs on the both of you, as well and Peeta and the other victors she went in with. We fully intend to send you all."

"Given that your physical skills are up to par," Boggs cut in, surprisingly. I expected Coin to snap him back into place, but she didn't as he cleared his throat and said, "I'm not taking any weak people with me. Our mission's going to be a little different, separate from the rest of the general army."

Gale's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and a little bit of concern. "Oh?"

"Based on your skill sets," Boggs continued, "you'll each have a certain part of the team. We will be at the center of the rebellion, but we certainly won't be at the frontline for any massacres. We've got to protect the Mockingjay."

"You keep saying the Mockingjay as if it is a capitalized word," Gale said, shaking his head in disbelief as he asked, "Is that Katniss?"

Coin finally stepped back into the conversation. "It is the role that Katniss is going to have play for us, to be the symbolic general of the rebellion. She already is, for the most part, but we just need to refine her a little bit more."

A corner of Gale's mouth pulled up into an almost imperceptible snarl. "Like the Capitol did before parading her around? Look how well that worked out for them. I'd advise against it."

Coin seemed to grow a few inches. "I wasn't asking for your opinion, Soldier..."

Stepping in quickly to diffuse the situation, Plutarch put out his hands to put Gale at bay from attacking Coin verbally any further. "We have no intention to do what the Capitol did to her, and you should know that, Gale. This is a little... new for all of us, and we're all in this together. You have to trust us. We're not here to use and abuse Katniss."

"Yeah. You plan to just use her," Gale said flatly. Coin seemed to be giving up on the conversation with Gale, so I stepped in, now that I wasn't concerned with Coin trodding over me.

"Gale, I know what they're planning to do with her. It's nothing more than shooting a few promotions and letting her do what she wants to- fight. Do you think that I would really be walking her into this if I didn't know what I was getting her into?" I asked him. He pressed his lips together tightly, then shook his head, pulling a hand through his dark hair.

"I guess I can't keep fighting you all on this. I've kind of got no choice any longer, do I?" he said, sounding a little angry, but mostly just resigned. He sighed and shook his head again, turning to Coin. "I apologize for my outburst. It was immature and unprofessional."

Coin looked like she was biting back the response she really thought Gale deserved, and I enjoyed watching her squirm. Ever since I had begun traveling to District 13, I had grown to know Coin more and more and had liked her less and less. She put up a very controlled front, but I knew no human could really be like that inside, and that is what made me wary of her. I felt like she was a ticking bomb, waiting to release all her crazy at once.

The door to the War Room opened, distracting me from my own thoughts.

"President Coin," a trimly dressed nurse said upon appearing in the doorway. Coin turned to her and gave her a cold, controlled look and the nurse did the same, not giving away one ounce of fear or anything. "Peeta has awoken. He was asking to see Katniss."

"Then we shall give him what he asks," Coin said, turning back to our group. My hand had instinctively found Gale's and she seemed to roll her eyes a little bit before asking, "I'm assuming you two will know where to find Soldier Everdeen?"

Without preamble, I answered, "We will meet you at Peeta's room."

We did as she asked, collecting Katniss before returning to the hospital room and walking to the room where they were keeping Peeta. He was in a bit of an observation room, with a narthex before his room where some spare medical supplies lay, and doctors bustled about talking about the surgeries they had to perform on him. I cleared on my throat, and they quickly stopped their conversations upon seeing Katniss' pale face.

Walking up to where Coin, Boggs, and my uncle were standing, flanked by three buff-looking soldiers bearing the symbol of District 13, Katniss asked, "Is he okay?"

Plutarch nodded. "He seems to be fully functional. He'll be tired..."

None of that mattered to Katniss. She was wringing her hands in front of her as she asked, "Can I talk to him now?"

"Perhaps it's best if the two of you go outside," Coin said, shooting a look at Gale and I. "There's no need for more people to be in this room than what are needed."

I wanted to bite back, to question why she needed her own personal army in the room with her, but luckily, my uncle sensed that I was about to finally flip at Coin, so he stepped in before I had a chance to even piece together my first sentence.

"Let them stay," Plutarch said calmly. Coin looked almost furious that he was questioning her decisions, but she was somehow still able to keep that stoic look on her face. Ignoring this, Plutarch shrugged. "What will it hurt having them in here? She might need the support, and you don't want a weak Mockingjay."

I expected Coin to roll her eyes, and was slightly disappointed when she didn't. I was still convinced she was part android.

She did, however, concede. "Fine. If you two stay quiet and out of everybody's ways, you may stay until Soldier Everdeen reemerges."

Biting back a smug smile, I turned back to Katniss and gave her a supportive one instead, squeezing her hand. "Everything's going to be fine, Katniss, from here on out. I promise."

She gave me what I could best describe as a hopeful smile, squeezing my hand in return before turning to the door. I saw her shoulders lift and lower with a heavy breath as she advanced to the door, opening it and stepping it inside. We watched with caught breaths as Peeta sat up, ever so slowly, from his chair.

Someone had been polite enough to shut off the communication between the two rooms, so we couldn't hear whatever private conversation the two of them were having. Gale gently rested a hand against the small of my back, and I smiled up at him, saying, "Maybe things will finally go back to normal. Or at least some sense of normalcy."

"Maybe," Gale finally admitted, shrugging and giving me for what was once an easy smile. We turned back as Peeta's face contorted into confusion and, then, without warning, utmost rage.

And then his fingers reached out and wrapped around Katniss' neck.


	14. Chapter 14

To say that we had flown in there would've been an understatement.

Before the soldiers could even move, Gale's hand had reached the doorknob and I was right behind him. He ran in, desperately trying to pry Peeta's fingers off of Katniss' windpipe, but to no avail. Other soldiers circled around as Coin shouted, "Do something!"

Her sudden loss of control seemed to throw the situation into further mayhem.

I finally swung in, straddling Peeta's waist as he kept his determined eyes on Katniss. I quickly grabbed the gun that I slipped into the back of my pants every morning and brought the butt up to hit him on his temple.

He didn't get knocked out, but he was surprised enough to loosen his grip on Katniss' throat. While he was shocked, I pushed him down as Plutarch pulled away his precious Mockingjay, checking her throat for lasting bruises. Focusing on Katniss, I hadn't even noticed Peeta's arm swing up until I went sprawling on the floor, my mouth throbbing as my teeth had cut through my lip and busted it.

Finally, an orderly from the hospital ran in and shot Peeta up with some sort of drug that would make him sleep. Gale helped me up from the floor, asking, "Mari, are you okay? Can you see clearly? Do you remember where we are?"

The noise of the clamor behind him died down as I could see Peeta's arms fall back to the table, basically lifeless. Finnick Odair, the District 4 Victor and rebel, was cradling Katniss in his arms and looking in surprise and concern at Peeta. Katniss herself still looked shocked from the experience.

I used Gale's outstretched hand to right myself before giving him a reassuring nod, saying, "I'm fine, but she's not."

Gale looked over to Katniss, following my lead as we slowly approached her. When I called out her name softly, so as to not startle her like some wounded animal, she blinked and looked to me, almost comatose it seemed. I let her make the first move as she croaked out, "How could he... ?"

An inhuman sound burst from her chest as she fell slack in Finnick's arms, sobs consuming her body. It took Finnick and Gale to get her upright, and it was the latter who eventually gave up on getting Katniss up on her two feet and swung her up into his arms, carrying her out bridal-style.

We made it back to her room she was sharing with her mother and sister, and Gale laid her on the bed. Finnick looked over at me, and I could tell Gale was in the same discomfort we were in. What do you say to someone who had just been strangled by the love of their life, who now was seemingly insane?

I sat down on the edge of the bed and placed my hand in Katniss' hair, asking gently, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Even I cringed at my textbook mother response to it, but I honestly wasn't sure, especially with Katniss' spotty mental state since the Games, how she would react to any direct mentioning of what had just happened.

She grunted, rolling over so her back turned away from us. Her braid slipped over her shoulder and into my lap. I thought for sure she was going to shut down, but instead she said, "Can you and Finnick leave? I just want to talk to Gale."

I blinked, trying to register the words for a moment. Even back in Twelve, it had always been me Katniss came to talk about when she needed someone to vent to about the stresses of providing for her family or when her mother was having a more apathetic day than normal. It didn't surprise me that she wanted to talk to Gale, but it did surprise me that she didn't want to talk to me.

Finnick was the one who responded. "Yeah, of course."

I got up from the bed, walking to the door that Finnick was holding up for me. Looking back at Katniss' turned back, I told her, "I love you, Katniss."

Her head nodded a little bit, but I didn't get a single sound in response. Gale threw me an apologetic look, but I shook my head and gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile. I had to push my own pride away; all that mattered was that Katniss was talking to somebody about it. It didn't have to be me.

Following me down the hallway, Finnick cleared his throat and said, "She's probably just still floored by the fact that Peeta tried to attack her."

"Of course," I said, as if this explained everything. "Who wouldn't be surprised if they were in her place?"

Nodding, Finnick seemed about as confident as I did about this theory regarding Katniss' latest turn in attitude, and that was to say that I wasn't very confident.

When we reached the fork in the hallway, I smiled at him in a means of farewell, then made it back to the hallway where I had been given a room next to the Hawthornes'. It opened up into a huge atrium area where the kids liked to converge and spend their days together after they finished their school lessons. All of the Twelve kids, and a large portion of the Thirteen kids, were racing around, watched by more than enough adults to make sure no one got hurt.

I sat in the doorway of my room, watching all the younger kids play a game of tag around the building as the adults went on cleaning their laundry and doing relatively normal things. I sighed and leant my head on the doorjamb, wondering how this had actually happened.

I suddenly got a yearning to see my dad, and the tears sprung up in my eyes.

"Amari?" a high-pitched voice came from behind me. I turned and found Kynan looking at me shyly, but he rushed forward the moment he saw the tears in my eyes. He sat down in my lap and I held him as he asked me, "What's wrong?"

I didn't try to go around it; I told him, "I just miss Mommy and Daddy."

"Me, too," Kynan said, putting his arms around my neck. "Everyday. But they wouldn't want us to be sad, Mari. You told me that, and I think it's true."

"Kynan!" One of his friends called from the group playing tag. "Come on!"

I looked back at my younger brother, the source of such wisdom. I hugged him tightly and kissed his forehead, telling him, "Thank you, Kynan. You're right- Mommy and Daddy would want me to bask in this, in the success of what we all are a part of. You're getting so smart. Now, go have fun with your friends."

"I love you, Mari," he said, using the nickname he had come up with for me so long ago. I smiled and squeezed his hand, returning the phrase as he ran to go play tag. I focused on him for a long time, then found Iden and Axton. Caimbrie was working with Prim and Ms. Everdeen in the clinic, so she wasn't there, but I had flashbacks back to when the four of them would play in the field with my dad- even little Axton would stumble around for a bit, giggling.

A shadow reached over me, and I looked up to see Gale had come back from his time with Katniss. He motioned inside, and helped me stand up as we made it back into the room I was sharing with my siblings. I sat down on my bed and Gale closed the door as he turned to me and said, "I'm sorry."

"You don't have anything to apologize for," I said, shrugging. "I just wish that things were different."

Gale took a seat next to me on the bed, looking at me curiously. "Like what?"

I laughed drily. "A lot of things. The Capitol. This rebellion. My parents. District 12. The Games. But right now... the biggest thing is that I wish that Katniss trusted me."

"Katniss trusts you," Gale reassured me, but he didn't look entirely sold on the idea himself.

I put out my hands in front of me, helpless. "I know she trusts me more than a lot of people here, but... I feel like she doesn't trust me like she _used_ to. I know she doesn't trust Plutarch and Coin, and because I am working with them, she probably thinks that I am more loyal to them. That couldn't be further from the truth. I love my uncle and I do take orders from Coin, but if either of them ordered me to hurt you or Katniss or Peeta, I wouldn't be able to."

"That's what matters," Gale said softly, reassuring me as he rested his hand on my upper thigh. "I agree with you, Katniss is acting kind of weird around you, but the fact of the matter is that she's probably suffering from information overload. Finding out that the love of your life's whole brain has been rewired to kill you and your best friend has had a secret mission since she was born can be a little overwhelming."

Sighing, I rested my head in my hands before turning more to face Gale. "How are you doing?"

He looked surprised I was asking. He even questioned for clarification, "Me?"

I nodded, then pushed back my hair so I could look at him out of the corner of my eye. "Yeah, you. How are you dealing with all of this? You were kind of... forced into it. The rest of us mostly chose it."

A wry laugh came from his mouth. "None of us chose this. We've chosen to fight against what has oppressed us for so long, so... I think I'm okay. I think I'm suffering a little bit from information overload like Katniss, but I'm dealing better because I still have you."

I blushed, but let a smile form on my lips. Gale reached forward and pulled my chin up so he could kiss me, then smiled softly down at me. "I was not forced into this, by the way. I chose to follow you, no matter where you went and what the consequences went."

Pressing my lips together, I could feel them fighting with my facial muscles, confused on whether to turn upward or downward. On the one hand, I was ecstatic with the knowledge that wherever I went, Gale wanted to follow.

But I had a sick feeling I was leading him, Katniss, my family, and all of my friends and my District straight into unprecedented danger.


	15. Chapter 15

I had a rough night, and ended up sandwiched between Axton and the wall after he had a particularly rampant nightmare and ended up wetting his bed. A large portion of the night I was awake as Axton fell into a deep, murmuring slumber, halfway worried that he would wet the bed and halfway worried he would fall into another nightmare.

So when I woke the next morning only to be sent straight to the War Room to have a private meeting with Haymitch and Plutarch, I was a little less than amiable.

Upon seeing me and my visibly grumpy visage, Haymitch tilted his head and asked, "Princess have a pea under the mattress?"

"Princess had to deal with a four year old with nightmares and bladder problems, and princess probably can kick your butt, so I probably wouldn't be commenting right now," I said as I plunked into one of the seats. Noticing that it was just the three of us, I asked suspiciously, "What is this even about?"

Haymitch rolled his eyes. "What else? Katniss. Peeta. The star-crossed lovers."

When I gave a look to my uncle to give me a less cryptic answer, he complied. "We're concerned about Katniss now that she realizes Peeta may never be the same. Her resolves seems to be waning."

"Katniss is definitely weak, and she's not fit to be the militaristic centerfold everybody believed she could be," Haymitch argued, sounding like he was swallowing his own words. I just lounged back in my chair, watching the exchange without much interest. Haymitch saw me out of the corner of his eye and brightened, and I watched him warily. He turned to Plutarch and asked, "What about your niece?"

I straight out laughed. Haymitch and my uncle looked at me and the latter asked, "What's so funny?"

"Like you would ever actually let me lead anything. You've babied me since day one, and I don't think that will ever change," I said, rolling my eyes. My uncle went to argue, but then swallowed as a smile crossed over his face. He turned to Haymitch.

"I think you've finally done it," my uncle said, grabbing me by the arm. "We'll have to get you prepped immediately."

He pushed me out of the door and Gale, who looked like he was just trying to enter the room, straightened immediately. I could see him tense just as I had not moments before, quickly using my strength to pull against my uncle as I said, "Woah, slow down for just a second. What the hell do you mean you need to get me prepped?"

Gale tensed even further as my uncle shook his head and said, "No, no, we just need to get your face out there, Amari. You are the face of the rebellion."

I stared at him blankly, not comprehending, before I barked out a laugh. "Did I suddenly sprout dark brown braids and a bow out of my back? I'm not Katniss, uncle, and relatively, I'm a nobody. People know me as part of her inner circle, but that's it."

"All Katniss is, is an icon!" Plutarch said, sounding flustered as he pulled a hand through his nearly white blonde hair. I don't know who looked more surprised to hear my uncle talk so lowly about Katniss: Gale, or me. Plutarch sighed, then seemed to calm as he said, "We could've counted on Katniss' strength with Peeta involved, or even if Peeta were dead, but with Peeta's mind swiped..."

He paled, trailing off as he shook his head, beginning a new thought. "If we get your story, your name, your face out there to the rebels, they will see how strong you are and how strong you have been from the beginning, sacrificing your comfort for their safety even now."

I shook my head. "Use Finnick. He's prettier than I am."

"Finnick was not bred a rebel," Plutarch said, looking excited and earnest for me to understand his and Haymitch's vision.

Well, those certainly weren't two words I would ever think to put together - Haymitch and vision?

When I shook my head again, I had the distinct feeling like I was trying to detach it myself from my neck with excessive force. I stopped the shaking and looked back up at my uncle, but I realized that he wasn't going to back down.

So instead, I sighed and conceded. "Fine."

He looked elated, immediately coaching me on what to say while he guided me to the studio, where a few rebel-friendly Capitolites had set up shop with Beetee's help to create beautiful propaganda pieces to force onto Capitol TV.

I sat down as they used a meager amount of make-up to fix my freckled and tanned face, then tried to make the most that they could out of my hair which, unlike Katniss', usually just flowed out behind me and did what it wished. Gale disappeared for a while as people began to trickle into the room to see the propo filmed, and I saw him slip back in with Katniss at his side. Neither of them looked too excited for my debut.

When I was given lieu to the stage, I walked up slowly, clenching and unclenching my fists as I focused on the points Plutarch had said I should use to talk about. Once I made it to the X marked on the stage that the director, a friendly Capitolite named Cressida, told me to stop at, I turned toward the camera, feeling the eyes of the Thirteeners and rebels alike all on me as I tried to speak clearly.

"My name is Amari Dossen. I am from District 13, but I grew up in 12 with Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen. I've seen tributes from my district go into battle with hope in their eyes, but none in the eyes that surrounded them. I've seen people in my district die because of the conditions our state was in."

I stopped, taking in a deep breath to collect my thoughts as Plutarch nodded toward me, signifying I was doing a great job thus far.

I almost winced as I revealed my biggest secret that not even Gale, Katniss, and Haymitch knew. "I've also had the rare chance to see other districts, experience their pains. I spent two weeks in District 11, doing backbreaking agricultural labor, only to lose all my crop thanks to a faulty Capitol-produced insecticide. People starved and died or grew sick because of it. I spent a month in District 8 and saw one of my best friends killed by a malfunctioning machine. I spent a week in District 10, and saw the aftermath of an animal-borne epidemic. The horror stories I could tell you go on and on and on."

"Separate yourself from Katniss," Plutarch instructed me in a low voice that I knew would be edited out later. I could see Katniss and Gale, leaning against the back wall, both tense at his words. As if noticing that they were upset by it, he clarified, "You're not the Mockingjay, but you want to lead."

I pursed my lips and slammed my eyes shut, trying to think of the right thing to say. Although it had always felt like I had shared nothing in common with Katniss when we were growing up besides the poverty forced upon us by our community, suddenly I realized how similar we were. She was expected to lead the rebellion, as was I; we had both lost vital family members; we shared a same group of friends...

That's when I realized, Plutarch's words were ill-advised. I shouldn't be separating myself from Katniss even though that's what he and Haymitch had deemed what was best, to individualize my story and myself. But that's not what the public would want.

Steeling myself for the glare that would come from Haymitch and the reprimand from Plutarch, I faced the camera and said, "Katniss Everdeen, as my childhood friend, fought to survive where one should find comfort- within her own home. I did the same, as did most of the children in our district. However, growing up, I had the one glimmer of hope, that I now want to share with all of you: District Thirteen. Acting as an ambassador between Thirteen and the rebels of various districts, I fully intend to bring justice and peace to you all through whatever is necessary, because I have suffered alongside you for my lifetime."

I paused again, and was surprised to see that Plutarch and Haymitch weren't trying to cut me off or correct me. Swallowing one last gulp of air, I announced not only to the camera, but to the room, "Panem. It is freedom, or it is nothing. Show me your alliances, and I will show you action."

There was a strange silence that overcame the room the moment my monologue was done, followed by a slow, almost sardonic, clapping. I looked toward the source, and wasn't surprised to see it was Haymitch applauding as he walked toward me, saying, "You know how to put on a speech, little girl."

I scowled at him as Gale stepped forward defensively, Katniss close behind. "Yeah, well, some of us don't need liquid courage just to get out coherent sentences."

"What is the purpose of this?" Gale asked protectively as Cressida and Plutarch walked up to join our small group. I could see Coin watching us carefully while saying something to Boggs out of the corner of her mouth, but I pretended as if I was just scanning the crowd casually. She did not look too happy at our side meeting.

Cressida was the one to explain, "After what Amari said this morning, about not being able to lead much of anything, we decided within our private group that we should begin to film propos featuring the other rebels, to make it more personalized and to portray the strength and struggles of our warriors. Gale, you are likely to be filmed next."

I almost had a perverse joy in the way Gale paled in mention of being in front of a camera, but I caught a strange phrase Cressida had used as i questioned, "Our private group?"

She seemed to blush before she took a step closer to me and whispered, "As I'm sure you're well aware, we are not in control as much as they want us to believe we are. They are still using us as puppets, so we wanted to turn the plates a bit. By giving faces to our team rather than theirs, we can ensure that when all this is over, if there is to be a fight amongst rebels, people will side with us."

It was the wrong thing to say in front of Katniss.

"Why would there be another fight?" she said, looking over sharply at Cressida, who immediately went pale with the regret of her words. Her voice began rising as she demanded, "Who would be dumb enough to continue this war after..."

"Catnip," Gale cut in gently, resting a hand on her arm. "I agree with them. There is a high chance that when this is over, Coin could take a... nasty turn. We need to be prepared. We need to get our... or, well, our names and faces out there so they know who to really trust when it all comes down to it."

Cressida looked relaxed now. "So, you'll do it?"

"Of course," Gale said, nodding. "Anything to help the rebellion."

Quickly, Plutarch began in the middle of some story about my father, and I was curious as to what crazy train he had boarded until I heard a clipped tone from behind me say, "Soldier Dossen, may I have a word with you privately?"

Gale gave me a quick look, but I responded with an imperceptible shake of my head before I turned to face Coin. Without explanation, she began walking, leading me out of the bustling studio and down two side hallways until I heard the last noise and sign of any outside community disappear. I was just about to ask her what she wished to talk to me about, when she turned to me and asked, "How dense do you think I am?"

I blinked, surprised by her words and, more importantly, her anger. It was the most emotion I had ever seen her share.

"I'm sorry?" I asked her, my voice flooded with confusion.

"Do not think I do not know whose idea this was," Coin said to me coldly, her gray eyes focused on me for a few unsettling seconds before she raised her eyebrows. "I will be keeping an eye on you, Soldier Dossen. Remember that."

Then, she turned on her heel and left me behind with her open threat.


	16. Chapter 16

When I finished, I looked up to where my friends and family were standing. My younger siblings all looked excited, but I wasn't entirely sure they understood the enormity of what had just occurred. Katniss looked relieved and thankful that some of the weight had been lifted off of her shoulders; Gale, on the other hand, was sulking, angry that I was putting myself so directly in the eyes of the Capitol. The fact that I had traveled around so much under the guise of being a Capitol elite that wanted to experience the districts for myself was already so treasonous, and now, I claimed myself to be the leader of the rebel army. I'm sure all weapons were now targeted straight at my head.

I knew I was going to receive nothing but comments about my stupidity from Gale, so I walked straight back to the training field and grabbed a bow and some arrows. I might have been no Katniss, but I put Gale to shame sometimes. I began shooting, trying to think of nothing- the rebellion, Gale's anger, Peeta's amnesia, the fighting still ahead of us...

I heard footsteps crunch behind me on the leaves, but as the wind picked up, I smelled his scent and ignored him. He shuffled a bit more before he said, "I guess it's too late for you to back out now."

"You think?" I asked him, continuing to shoot arrows and hit the bullseye. Quick footsteps came toward me, and he reached forward and grabbed a hold of my arm, throwing my bow and arrows aside. His body pressed to mine from behind as he kept his grip on his arm, sliding it down slowly to my hand.

"I will go wherever you go, I will fight wherever you fight," he promised me, his voice thick with passion. I turned to him as he grabbed my waist, pulling me toward him, his gray eyes flashing. "I will be with you every step of the way. I will not leave you. I will not let you die."

"Big words for a boy who's never seen true battle," I said to him, an attempt at light-heartedness. His expression remained serious, and I sighed, grabbing his shirt at the chest. "Gale, I appreciate all your offers, but I don't want your hardy sense of obligation getting you killed."

"I will not let myself die," he said pointedly. He tipped his head and gave me a smirk. "Better?"

"No! I'm the only one who can use the sarcasm card," I said to him, causing him to laugh. We both just smiled at each other before I murmured, "I'm happy you'll be there with me. I'm happy I can keep an eye on you instead of being distracted and thinking of what's happening to you wherever you would normally be. You're kind of my biggest weakness."

"And you, mine," he whispered to me, pulling me up to kiss me. He dipped me a bit and crushed my body to his, his movements urgent. I tightened my grip around his neck, letting him bend down and scatter kisses down my neck as I tried to catch my breath.

A buzz at the gate leading back into the bunker bumped us out of our moment, and a guard appeared to escort us back inside. Gale's hand found mine as I lead him back down into the bunker, energy still crackling between the two of us as we moved to my room. Before I closed the door, I checked my younger siblings' schedules and saw that they were all in school for the next few hours before I smiled to myself and shut the door.

Gale was sitting on my bed, and so I sat down next to him and cuddled up to him as he sighed, saying, "I'm already exhausted of today."

"It was a big day, at least for us. How does it feel to be dating the newest rebel leader, Mr. Hawthorne?" I asked him, smiling as I looked down at his lips then back at his eyes, my fingers digging into the back of his neck where his hairline was. He gave me a small, but entranced, smile and tightened his grip on my waist.

"Like the most wonderful thing in the world," Gale said to me, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear and looking at me thoughtfully. "Like love is supposed to feel like."

I looked up into his eyes, a bit surprised by his use of the word "love". The only time I had ever heard the word come out of his mouth was directed to his mother or one of his siblings, or it was in complete contempt, usually making fun of those who let a love for someone else run their lives. As I looked into Gale's eyes, I saw deeper than I ever had as he pulled that final wall down.

"Amari?" He asked me gently. I wrapped my hands around his neck and pulled myself up to kiss him, his hands bracing my back and pulling me in tighter. His hands slid down my waist as he picked me up, and I straddled his waist, cradling his head as I continued kissing him like there was no tomorrow.

And that's when I also realized that in our case, maybe there wasn't a tomorrow.

I pulled away form him and he let me back down, smiling at me as he kept our foreheads touching, both of us just trying to catch our breathing. He looked into my eyes and whispered, "I am so in love with you."

"And I, with you," I responded as I bit my lip, trying to contain the biggest of smiles that wanted to erupt onto my face. He kissed me again and then we just stood there, holding each other, until there was a knock on the door. We separated, but Gale's hand quickly found mine. I couldn't help but smile as his thumb began stroking over the backside of my hand.

Haymitch walked in and looked at us, his eyes flitting down to our intertwined hands as he made a disgusted face. I laughed, as even Haymitch's rudeness couldn't bring down my mood as of now, and asked, "Come on, how old are you?"

"Old enough to know that cooties actually are real," Haymitch said as he took a seat on Caimbrie's bed without invitation. He sighed, losing his joking attitude as he pulled a hand through his stringy blonde hair before asking, "You want the good news or the bad news first?"

I groaned, flopping backward onto my bed as I asked the ceiling, "Why must there always be bad news?"

Ignoring my angst, Haymitch said, "The good news is that your propo will be broadcasting tomorrow."

Sitting back up slowly from the bed, I gave Haymitch a concerned look. "While my propo isn't necessarily bad news, it isn't exactly good news. It kind of concerns me that you consider it enough to buffer the next hit."

Haymitch winced. "I don't consider it enough to buffer the next hit. I don't know what would be able to buffer it."

I could see Gale move his hand to his hip, where he hid a knife in case we ever got attacked and he couldn't get near the weapons room. It was strictly against Thirteen's code, but he had somehow managed to keep it a secret between him and I ever since we both got to the district and were stripped and reclothed.

Haymitch must've seen Gale's movement, because he shook his head sadly and said, "Unfortunately, I'm not sure it's a problem that can be so easily fixed."

"Can you stop talking riddles?" I finally snapped at him, my good mood from the propo and spending time with Gale finally running short. "What is going on?"

He sighed again, then said, "Coin wants Peeta on you all's team going out to the Capitol."

I could only simply blink at Haymitch in disbelief of what he had said; Gale, on the other hand, made his thoughts explicitly known as he cussed and spat at Haymitch accusingly, "What the hell? He's going to kill all of us as he was trained! You'd have to be crazy to..."

"Don't you think I know all that, boy?" Haymitch said, snapping just as Gale and I both had, spit flying from his mouth as he leaned forward to get closer to Gale. "I promised him, you, Amari, Plutarch, and everyone else that I would protect Katniss from anything, and right now, the most imminent threat against her is him. But it is Coin's orders, and she is not listening to Plutarch, Finnick, and I's pleas."

I bit my lip, eyeing Haymitch with concern. "Does she want Katniss to be killed?"

Looking around in his typically suspicious manner, Haymitch's behavior lessened the surprise of his next statement as he said, "I think she does. When we win this rebellion, the rebels aren't going to turn to Coin for guidance; they're going to turn to Katniss. Obviously, she's in no reasonable state of mind or age or anything to become a leader like Coin, but she could throw her support one way or the other, and as we all can visibly see, Katniss and Coin don't really mesh well, so I wouldn't be surprised if she threw it behind Plutarch or someone of the like. If she sees that Katniss is going to become an issue, she might make her out to be a martyr, using Peeta as a weapon that she can blame on the Capitol."

"She couldn't possibly get away with that, could she?" Gale asked, looking at Haymitch in obvious alarm, the latter of which simply shrugged, looking exhausted and defeated.

"We could try and fight her, but she could silence us, too. I think people would eventually catch on, but I think it would also just be too late," Haymitch said, shrugging again as he trained his eyes on Gale and me. "I just wanted to come forewarn you two, because I know you would put your lives in front of Katniss' not just for her, but for everybody involved. I really wish I didn't have to ask this of anybody, but..."

I shook my head, giving him a sad smile. "If we didn't, everything we've been working toward for the last few decades would be for nothing. My parents' relocation and their sacrifices and their deaths would be for nothing. I really hope it doesn't come to it, but I understand."

"And you know I'd put my life before either of theirs," Gale said seriously, resting his arm around my waist now, adding, "as well as Amari's."

I sighed, turning to him. "Gale..."

Haymitch stood from the bed, looking uncomfortable but still overtly concerned for both Gale and I. "This is where I leave you two to determine which is the better self-sacrificer in the couple. But I just wanted you two to know what you were going up against, so you wouldn't be blindsided when it came to. You need to be careful, be smart. Protect Katniss, but don't be stupid about it, you know?"

"We do," I said, giving Haymitch a small, grateful smile. "Thanks, Haymitch."

He nodded once, visibly unaccustomed to getting genuinely thanked for something, before exiting out of my room. I turned back to Gale and told him, "Caimbrie will be worried when she hears Peeta is going, too. The kids all know now about his... instability."

"My mom will watch over Caimbrie, and so will Katniss'," Gale said, slipping a hand through my hair as he spoke to me softly. "This is what you were bred for, Amari. I know you're worried about leaving your siblings behind, but this is it- bringing the fight to the Capitol, going down in a blaze of glory... this is what your parents wanted."

"But what if it wasn't what they wanted for me? I just assumed..."

Gale reached forward and kissed me, pulling me up to his body as I fell silent and kissed him back for a few minutes. When I pulled away from him, he gave me a small smile and told me, "I know this is overwhelming, that it's moving so fast. We take this all one fast-paced, gargantuan step at a time. But we do it together. It's that simple, right?"

"Right," I said, leaning up to kiss him again before we left the room to go see our assignments for the rest of the afternoon leading up to our departure.

If only I had known it wasn't ever going to truly be that simple again.


End file.
